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GACCE November 2025 E-Newsletter
The mission of GACCE is engaging, educating, and empowering chamber professionals.
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Navigating the Unknown:
Leading Through Uncertainty
Four-Part Webinar Series for GACCE Members
In an era of rapid economic shifts, technological advancements, and unforeseen disruptions, the ability to lead with resilience and foresight is paramount for Chamber of Commerce professionals. This four-part webinar series is meticulously designed to equip chamber leaders with the essential skills and strategies to not only navigate uncertainty but also to empower their members and communities to thrive amidst it. Each one-hour session will provide actionable insights, practical tools, and collaborative opportunities to foster a proactive and adaptive approach to leadership.
SESSION 3 - The Chamber as a Catalyst: Fostering Member-to-Member Collaboration and Innovation
Tuesday, November 4 - 9:00am
To register for this meeting, please CLICK HERE.
SESSION 4 - Future-Proofing Your Community: The Chamber's Role in Long-Term Economic Vitality
Tuesday, November 18 - 9:00am
To register for this meeting, please CLICK HERE.
Once you complete the short registration forms for each session, the system will share the Zoom meeting links, and you can add these to your calendar. The meetings will be recorded and shared with the membership in case you aren’t able to join us live on those dates.
| | GACCE - 2026 Conference Dates & Locations | | |
We are excited to announce the dates & locations for our 2026 conferences…please be sure to save these on your calendar for next year:
2026 GACCE Staff Development Conference
for all chamber staff members
Monday – Wednesday, March 9 – 11, 2026
Hilton Garden Inn and Dalton Convention Center
Dalton, GA
Hosted by the Greater Dalton Chamber of Commerce
2026 GACCE Executive Leadership Conference
for Chamber Executive Directors, Presidents, CEOs, and senior staff members
Tuesday – Friday, July 7 – 10, 2026
Jekyll Island Club Resort
Jekyll Island, GA
2026 GACCE Board Development Conference
for Chamber Executives and their incoming volunteer board leadership
Thursday & Friday, November 5 & 6, 2026
Fairfield Marriott/Hilton Garden Inn and Georgia National Fairgrounds
Perry, GA
Hosted by the Perry Area Chamber of Commerce
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2025 Economic Inclusion Summit
November 12 | 8:30am
Georgia International Convention Center
College Park, GA
As Georgia continues to become more diverse, our state’s leaders must seek to understand, engage in, and accept the responsibility to work towards an inclusive environment. Click here for more information and to register.
| | GACCE Associate Member Updates | | | | |
Please join us in welcoming a new GACCE Associate Member:
Batchelor & Bradley Insights Group, LLC
Amber Batchelor, CEO & Managing Partner
202-705-7717
amber@bbinsightsgroup.com
Batchelor & Bradley Insights Group, LLC helps organizations with their strategic planning to build stronger teams. Find out more below:
https://bbinsightsgroup.com/
We will schedule a Zoom meeting soon for Amber to share more about their services with our members.
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As a former Chamber CEO, I know what it takes to maintain strong results while managing multiple responsibilities. And the fourth quarter is ideal for reviewing progress and collaborating with your board and stakeholders to plan for 2026. During this review, you may wish to seek input from another individual who can provide constructive feedback or offer a unique perspective. As a Chamber consultant, I would be delighted to schedule a complimentary call at your convenience. Here are topics to get the conversation started:
- Membership Growth & Engagement
- Key Elements for Retention Success
- Enhanced Programming & Events
- A Winning Strategic Plan
- Creative Marketing by the Quarter
Reach out to Deborah to schedule your free session.
Phone: 770.377.5266
Email: dlc@deborahlanham.com
To learn more about Deborah Lanham Consulting click HERE
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Maximize 2025 Tax Benefits While Strengthening Georgia Communities
Georgia businesses and individuals can make a powerful impact and receive a 100% state income tax credit by contributing to rural hospitals through the Georgia HEART Hospital Program. Your participation helps sustain quality healthcare and support the economic vitality of rural communities across our state. Apply today at georgiaheart.org to reserve your 2025 tax credit before year-end.
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We are excited to share an update on the exclusive 8-day Familiarization (FAM) Trip to Portugal that will take place in late November. This trip is designed to showcase how travel experiences can become powerful non-dues revenue opportunities for your chamber.
Highlights include:
· Discovering Portugal: Lisbon → Obidos → Nazaré → Batalha → Fátima → Aveiro → Porto → Coimbra → Lisbon
· Airfare included (from Atlanta) + excellent value pricing
· An opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the tours we provide — so you can confidently offer these to your community
· A strong networking experience with peer chamber executives
We are thrilled to announce that many distinguished chamber executives from across the country will be joining us on this remarkable adventure, representing a diverse range of chambers. Below you will find a list of the GACCE participants along with their associated chambers.
GACCE Chamber Executives Participating in the Indus Travels Portugal FAM Trip
- Jeffrey Fowler – Warren County Chamber of Commerce
- Carlandria Hayes – DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
- Ashley Miller – Ashburn Turner County Chamber of Commerce
- Jessica Walden – Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce
- Carmenlita Scott – ATL Airport Chamber, Inc.
Look for trip stories and highlights in our upcoming communications. We look forward to delivering a memorable journey and equipping your chamber with the tools, confidence, and inspiration to elevate member travel offerings. For any questions or to learn more about upcoming Indus Travels opportunities, please feel free to contact Dhruv at dhruv@indus.travel or call 866-978-2997 ext. 844.
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Fanning is Launching a Free Webinar Series:
Connected Leadership: Culture, Strategy, and Digital Engagement
From October–December 2025, the Fanning Institute, will host nine NO COST webinars designed to provide high-value, accessible learning experiences for leaders, teams, and organizations navigating today’s complex challenges. Organized into three thematic tracks (Organizational Culture & Team Development, Strategic Leadership & Planning, and Digital & Hybrid Leadership), that will feature three one-hour sessions and offer practical tools and fresh insights to strengthen leadership capacity, foster collaboration, and build resilience in both in-person and digital environments. Register TODAY!
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Structuring a Successful Community Development Effort
Many communities recognize the need to engage their stakeholders in community development of one kind or another. Whether addressing issues impacting quality of life and marketability, preparing for a major new employer, or simply addressing community gaps, effectively leveraging community knowledge and resources to focus on the most important elements is key to success. Click here to read the full article.
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Watch Now: Kickstarting Your Public Policy Task Force
Did you miss our recent webinar for GACCE on how Chambers can kickstart or strengthen their advocacy efforts? Watch the recording to learn practical steps for forming a public policy task force that engages members, drives results, and amplifies your Chamber’s voice for business. Watch the Recording Here.
| | | | This month’s Compliance Tracker Newsletter summarizes compliance deadlines for November 2025 and highlights additional upcoming deadlines. Click here for the newsletter. | | | | |
Ready for 2026? Let’s Talk!
This year is flying by and planning for 2026 starts now. If you are interested in telling your Chamber's story with bigger impact AND growing your non-dues revenue, now is the perfect time to connect and explore how partnering with PSP Group can take you to the next level! Schedule a discovery call today with Eli (eli@mypspgroup.com) or Kenny (kenny@mypspgroup.com).
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SOAR Nonprofit Solutions Looks Forward to Seeing You at the GACCE Board Development Conference!
SOAR Nonprofit Solutions, LLC, is excited to connect with you in Albany! We’re celebrating four years in business and proud to have partnered with more than twenty chambers to strengthen their foundations through board training, governance, program development, dues conversion, and more—all designed to drive growth and long-term success.
We’d love to hear what’s happening in your chamber! Look for Tammy Shepherd, IOM, GCCE, on November 6 or reach out at tammy@soarnonprofitsolutions.com.
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UNLOOP by YGM is the smarter way to plan, sell, and track your sponsorships — no spreadsheets, no chaos. From real-time sales tracking to online contracts and sponsor FOMO when they see who else is buying, UNLOOP by YGM helps you sell smarter, not harder all while increasing your revenue.“UNLOOP by YGM's sponsorship website is a game-changer. The interface is incredibly intuitive—easy for chamber staff to update and even easier for sponsors to navigate and make purchases. It streamlines the entire process. This is the kind of tool that gives your chamber a competitive edge!”
— Tiffany Fulmer Ott
👉 Sponsor Sales Demo: [Watch Now]
👉 Admin Demo: [Watch Now]
Click here to sign-up for UNLOOP by YGM.
| | GACCE Chamber Member Updates | | The Chamber has contracted with The Chason Group to conduct the executive search for their new President & CEO. Please see the GACCE Careers page for more details and to apply. | | The Chamber has hired a new Executive Director, Jeffrey Wolverton. | | The Chamber has contracted with The Chason Group to conduct the executive search for their new President & CEO. Please see the GACCE Careers page for more details and to apply. | | Darien-McIntosh County Chamber | |
We are ramping up for our Annual Chamber Auction, December 12th at Fish Dock Bar & Grill. "Bounty on the Bluff, a Pirate Take Over of the Auction" our themed social and networking evening fundraiser! We will have silent and live auction items, raffles, games and more! Your attendance and sponsorship help fund our initiatives which include; McIntosh GROWS – a youth engagement program partnering with the McIntosh County Schools, Commercial Fisherman Support– supporting the local fishing community and Business Development Programing – offering new services and programs to better support our businesses.
| | Soon to celebrate 180 years of service to the Columbus & Chattahoochee Valley business community, the Chamber is excited to announce its organizational realignment and staff promotions. We will build on our three pillars of Connection, Resources, & Advocacy by positioning our team and resources in better alignment. The Chamber is excited to announce its focused departments of Partnership, Strategic Engagement, and Shared Services with Jamie Spencer being promoted to Vice President of Partnership; Brian Sillitto being tapped as the inaugural Vice President of Strategic Engagement; and Joe Sanders tapped as Vice President of Finance & Shared Services. | | The Chamber has launched a new website designed to strengthen member engagement and improve access to the organization’s programs, events, and business resources. The updated platform features enhanced search engine optimization, intuitive navigation, and a streamlined layout that prioritizes user experience. Read the full story here. | | The Chamber is accepting resumes for the position of President. Please see the GACCE Careers page for more details and to apply. | | |
Newnan-Coweta Chamber Wraps Up a Strong October
October was an exciting month for the Chamber! Following the success of our 2nd Annual Pickle Fest, which drew record revenue, crowds, and community enthusiasm, we hosted a lively Candidate HobNob featuring one of our largest turnouts yet. Voters engaged with candidates in numerous contested municipal races — a great demonstration of civic participation in action. We also wrapped up our annual Total Resource Campaign (TRC), where our “Mission Possible” volunteers once again rose to the occasion, surpassing goal and celebrating with a Halloween-themed victory rally. Together, these events reflect the Chamber’s continued focus on energizing business, strengthening civic leadership, and building collaboration across Coweta County.
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Our First-Ever Halloween Bash Was a Spooktacular Success! On October 31, the Chamber hosted our first-ever Halloween Bash, and it was fun from start to finish. We celebrated with coffee, sweet treats, and plenty of festive spirit — inviting our members to come dressed up (or email us a photo) to enter the costume contest. The contest brought out everyone’s playful side, but it was the Chamber Gals who truly CAT-ch’d all the attention! Our Vice President was the “little old cat lady,” while the rest of the team and I showed off our best “crazy cat” moves — even performing a skit and dance to Stray Cat Strut! We shopped at a local thrift store to find everything we needed to repurpose into our purr-fect costumes — complete with whiskers, tails, and plenty of purr-sonality. It was a day full of laughter, creativity, and community spirit. We can’t wait to make this new tradition even bigger and better next year!
| | The Chamber is pleased to welcome back Lacey Smith as their President & CEO. | | Other Updates of Interest | | Save the Date - #ACCE26 Annual Convention has been set for July 20-23, 2026 in New Orleans, LA. | | GACCE - Disaster Fund Grants | |
We are pleased to share information on a new grant program for our chamber members – GACCE Disaster Fund Grants. GACCE has created a Disaster Fund to assist our members in times of natural disasters. GACCE member chambers that need assistance after a natural disaster may apply for a grant from this fund if they meet the following criteria:
- The Chamber has suffered financial losses due to direct damage to their building and/or a disruption in normal operations as a result of a natural disaster;
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The Chamber is located in a county that has been declared a federal disaster area (grant applications received from chambers in a community that has not been declared a federal disaster area will be reviewed at the discretion of the GACCE Executive Committee);
- The Chamber is a current paid member of GACCE; and,
- The Chamber has at least one full-time employee.
CLICK HERE for the grant application.
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The U.S. Chamber Foundation's Institute for Organization Management has announced their 2026 program dates. CLICK HERE to see the sites and dates for 2026.
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