Board of Directors Meeting

April 12, 2018 Conference Call

Board of Directors Briefing Book April 12, 2018

Contents

• Agenda• Minutes from October 2017 Meeting• Finance and Revenue Reports• Professional Development & Convention• Deborah Elam, New Orleans Guest Speaker – Bio• Strategic Planning Update• ACCE Revenue Programs• Networks Update• DEI Progress Report• Fringe Benefits, Inc.• ACCE External Affairs Engagement Calendar

ACCE Board of Directors Meeting April 12, 2018 | 2:00 p.m. EDT

Via Conference Call

AGENDA

• Welcome

• Attendance & Logistics

• Review & Approve Minutes from October 2017 Board Meeting

• Treasurer’s Report

o ACCE financial reporto ACCE 2018-19 budgeto FBI financial report

• Governance

o CGEF – new chair Dave Adkisson

o Nominations update for 2018-19

▪ Officers’ slate

▪ Board of directors

• CGEF

o Name change

o Financial report

o Strategic plan update

• Professional Development & Convention Update

o Des Moines & beyond

• New Orleans Board Meeting Overview & Schedule

o Pre-board meeting on April 24 at 5pm

o Strategic planning session

o Guest speaker

• President’s Report & Closing Comments

o Strategic planning update

ACCE Board of Directors Meeting October 25, 2017 | 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT

Mason Room, Embassy Suites Hotel Alexandria, Virginia

MINUTES

Present: Nicki Anderson, Steve Baas, Rick Baker, Matt Ballard, Alisha Benson, Candace Boothby, John Brewer, David Brown, Lyle Butler, Jay Byers, Chip Cherry, Jay Chesshir, Jane Clark, Adrienne Cole, Kit Cramer, Greg Durocher, Tiffany Esposito, Christy Gillenwater, Tim Giuliani, Oz Griebel, Chip Hallock, Theresa Harvey, RaDonna Hessel, Michael Huber, Jeff Hunt, Waymond Jackson, Nancy Keefer, Angelle Laborde, Adam Legge, Kelle Marsalis, Leonardo McClarty, Sherry Menor-McNamara, Doug Minter, Ryan Mooney, Maria Nieves, Carlos Phillips, Tom Pierson, Joe Reagan, Joe Roman, Christine Ross, David Rumbarger, Bill Sisson, Allen Smith, Dale Steenbergen, Heidi Walker and Roy Williams

Excused: Heather Briccetti, Rob Engstrom, Kelly Fanelli, Shannon Full, Wendy Gramza, Kelly Hall, Bob Harvey, Ray Hernandez, Kris Johnson, Adam Marshall, Lori Mattson, Matt McCormick, Pat MulQueeny, Anthony Parkes, Pam Ridler, Ed Rodriguez, Courtney Ross, Todd Sanders, Katie Simmons, Lacey Toledano, Tony Vedda and Rob Wonderling

Staff: Sheree Anne Kelly, Stacey Breslin, Will Burns, Jacqui Cook, Michelle De Graff, Karen Haggerty, Chris Mead, Crystal Moore and Tamara Philbin

Guests: Secretary Betsy DeVos, U.S. Department of Education; Henry Timms, Executive Director, 92nd Street Y

Meeting called to order by Chairman Jay Chesshir.

Welcome Chesshir welcomed the group as well as new CEO Sheree Anne Kelly. Introductions followed.

Guest Henry Timms, Executive Director of the 92nd Street Y, presented material from his popular Harvard Business Review article, “Understanding New Power.” An open discussion followed.

Minutes Chesshir called for a motion to approve the minutes from the September conference call. Moved by RaDonna Hessel. Seconded by Matt Ballard. Approved.

Finance and Audit Reports Treasurer Chip Cherry provided an overview of the financial report and noted that ACCE remains in a strong cash position with over $1.8 million. Convention revenue was the largest on record with the highest turnout to date of over 1,200 attendees. Sponsor and exhibitor booths totaled 96 – well above last year. In addition, membership revenue continues to experience a steady growth. Cherry made a motion to accept the financial statement. Seconded by David Brown. Passed.

Audit Chair Chip Hallock called upon Al Weber with RSM US to present the audit report. Auditors met with the Finance Committee yesterday to review the report in detail. He noted that the audit is clean with no

adjusting journal entries. A few auditing standards will change for the coming year and RSM will fully comply. There were no questions. Chip Hallock moved to accept the audit report. Seconded by Roy Williams. Passed.

FBI Annual Stockholders Meeting Chairman Chesshir convened the FBI Annual Stockholders meeting, a required annual meeting of ACCE’s wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary. He noted the need to ratify the election of Lacey Toledano as FBI Chair, which was approved by directors at the March 2017 FBI board meeting. Angelle Laborde made a motion to elect Toledano as Chair. Seconded by Jay Byers. Passed.

Vice President/Executive Director Stacey Breslin provided an update in Toledano’s absence. Steady growth has resulted in FBI’s strongest fiscal year since 2009. The Department of Labor’s fiduciary regulation went into effect on June 9. She and the trustees will continue to monitor closely, consulting with industry experts to determine its impact.

After a brief discussion, Chesshir called for an adjournment of the FBI annual meeting.

CGEF Oz Griebel began by noting that CGEF, ACCE’s supporting 501(c)(3) entity, contributed $10,000 to the CEO transition expense, as approved at the last board meeting. In addition, he shared that two task forces have been organized: one headed by Casey Steinbacher, which will focus on the strategic plan; the second will concentrate on the Ninth Influence, which he will oversee. The latter will examine how ACCE can provide greater leadership and facilitate deeper discussions with respect to the inefficiency or ineffectiveness of our government systems. An update on both efforts will be shared in February.

Urgent Response Task Force Vice Chair Adam Legge recapped recent activity, noting that there have been quite a few natural disasters and crises over the past few months, from hurricanes and wildfires to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. Connecting chambers in need with those who have experienced and navigated a disaster or crisis has proved crucial and valuable. URTF is working with organizations like the Texas Association of Business and the Florida Chamber to connect volunteers in order to facilitate and streamline relief efforts.

Conventions Chesshir called upon Vice President Crystal Moore for an update. She stated that Nashville’s bottom line numbers are positive and very strong, proving that convention-goers are willing to pay a higher room rate to attend. We are considering convention sites for the years 2019-2022. RFPs were sent out and proposals are expected in the coming months. A full report on Nashville and future conventions at the next board meeting.

Jay Byers spoke about convention 2018 in Des Moines, noting that all destinations will be centered downtown and therefore very walkable and convenient. He and his staff are planning exciting add-ons like after-hours meeting points and early morning ED tours via bike. Future updates will be shared along the way.

Guest Secretary Betsy DeVos, U.S. Department of Education, shared observations about the state of U.S. education today and White House priorities for the road ahead. This was followed by an open discussion facilitated by Alisha Benson.

President’s Report New CEO Kelly shared insights from her first two months on the job. She outlined her priorities and focus areas based on feedback and input from her ongoing listening tour with chamber executives in the field. A discussion and Q&A followed.

Meeting adjourned.

TO: ACCE Board of Directors

FROM: Jacqui Cook, CFO

DATE: March 28, 2018

RE: 2018-19 Budget

First, we are pleased that the growth of the organization continues to provide us with opportunities

to serve members in exciting ways in 2018-19. The staff has worked extremely hard at crafting this

revenue-expense plan over the past two months.

ACCE's consolidated operations are projected to have a positive bottom line for 2018-2019. The

largest surplus will come from CGEF, our foundation, which predicts net income of $55,292.

ACCE is budgeted to have a net income of just $152.58 while FBI has a projected net of $260.00.

Let's look at a few specifics for the coming year:

Revenue

Membership - this large piece of ACCE revenue got bigger in 2017-18. In fact, we should end the

fiscal year at over S 1. 72 million, which is approximately 1 % greater than what we budgeted. The

budget for the coming year conservatively adds around 1 % to that projection, for a 4% increase

from the 201 7 -18 budget.

Convention - The record-breaking financial performance in Nashville hit the $1 million mark in

total revenue. Several unique factors played into the convention's success. For budgeting purposes,

we stayed conservative. Therefore, we have taken an average of the past five conventions to determine a revenue figure for this year's budget.

National Corporate Sponsors - We have had some difficulty with the National Corporate Sponsor

revenue over the past couple of years, with moderate improvements this year. ACCE will have about

$250,000 in national corporate sponsor money (not including allocations for advertising) in FY

2017-18, up 14 percent from the budgeted amount. For 2018-19, we predict a slight increase, to

$261,000.

The CGEF revenue increase is significant, but note that the foundation grant expenses track with

the revenue. Both are expected to rise, which means that if the grants don't come in as projected,

we will also reduce related grant fulfillment expenses.

Professional Development & Convention Crystal Moore, Vice President – Professional Development & Convention

Convention 2018: Des Moines, IA, July 17-19, 2018 It is early, but registrations are tracking similarly to this time in previous years. Nashville was our largest-ever convention, so we are managing expectations for 2018 numbers. Despite conservative budgeting, we are pushing extensive marketing and communications to drum up interest. We will keep an eye on revenue across all channels (registration, sponsors and exhibitors) and adjust expenses, if needed.

Hotels – The Hilton is our headquarter hotel, however rooms will go fast as it is not the hotel with the largest block. The largest room block is at the Marriott. There are four total hotels within walking distance of the center where we have rooms available for participants. Schedule at a Glance (Governance) - see attached

Convention 2019 & 2020 Site Selection 2019- Long Beach, CA 2020- Dallas, TX

Divergent Leadership Program ACCE’s first Divergent Leader Program was held in the ACCE offices in October. The goal for the event was to share best practices on developing an innovative and entrepreneurial leadership culture. Eight leaders in the chamber industry convened during an 8-hour session of interactive discussions and group exercises. Combining design-thinking and disruptive analysis, they gained a better understanding of these approaches, and developed strategies to execute them operationally within their own chambers. The group was tasked with performing at least one interview in their community based on the divergent leadership theory. A follow-up conference call was held on March 1 to discuss the interview results and other feedback. ACCE staff is exploring the idea of an in-person session at the annual convention in Des Moines that will dive deeper into the interview technique and share its applicability with a broader audience.

Convention Governance Schedule

Tuesday, July 17 9-12:30 pm SEAN Meeting CGEF (TBD) 9- 1 pm COY Judging (5 rooms) Noon-1 pm Finance Meeting 1-3 pm CCE Commission 1:30-2:30 pm Executive Committee 2-6 pm Registration Open 2-4 pm Tours 3-5:30 pm BOD 5-6:30 pm Welcome Reception

Wednesday, July 18 9-10:30 pm DEI Division Meeting Destination Cities Council Meeting 11-12:30 pm University Communities Council Meeting 2-4:30 pm GR Division Meeting Communications Division Meeting 2-4:30 pm DEI Division Deep Dive 6pm Site Consultant Dinner Awards Reception and Show

Thursday, July 19 8-9 am Site Selectors Breakfast 7-8 am CCE Breakfast 9-10 am Horizon Investor Q&A 9 am – 12:30 pm Site Selectors Program 11am-12:30 pm Intercity Visit Organizers Meeting 2-4 pm Economic Development Tour 2-5 pm Educational Content 2-4:30 pm (staggered) Metro Cities Council Meeting Major Cities Council Meeting Emerging Cities Council Meeting Hometown Chamber Council Meeting Metro Major Senior Staff Meeting 5-6:30pm Education and Talent Development Division Reception 6-9 pm Emeritus Dinner Metro/Major Dinner Metro Major Senior Staff Dinner Hometown Chamber Council Dinner Emerging Cities Council Dinner 9-11 pm Closing Party

Friday, July 20 9-10 am Economic & Community Development Division Meeting

Deborah Augustine Elam

President & CEO

Corporate Playbook

After a thirty year career with the multinational conglomerate, corporate pioneer

Deborah Augustine Elam has retired from her dual role at General Electric as Chief

Diversity Officer, as well as President of the GE Foundation.

From graduate intern to GE’s first-ever black female corporate officer, Deb dedicated

her career to diversity, philanthropy, and inclusion. She oversaw efforts to embrace

diversity in order to create an environment where GE employees are able to thrive and contribute to the

company’s success in the global economy. Her experience spans across multiple organizations within the

corporation.

An alumnus of Louisiana State University, Deb holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. Her career catapulted

after graduating from Southern University, where she earned a Master in Public Administration. She was

quickly recruited by GE’s Human Resources Leadership Program where she undertook assignments at GE

Global Exchange Services and GE Transportation. Upon successful completion of the training program, she

progressed through larger HR roles within GE Consulting Services, GE Capital Mortgage Corporation, GE

Capital Insurance Services, and GE Capital Markets Services. In June of 2000, Elam became Managing

Director of Human Resources at GE Capital Commercial Finance.

Colleagues have cited Deb’s commitment to diversity, philanthropy, and inclusiveness as key factors to her

success. In February of 2006, Deb rose to the top with a well-deserved promotion that made history. GE’s

Board of Directors appointed her Chief Diversity Officer, the conglomerate’s first-ever black female

corporate officer, making Deb one of the most senior women in the company.

It was apparent that Deb would continue to disrupt the status quo as she earned a lifetime of accolades,

including but not limited to: one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Business; and one of the 50 Most

Powerful Women in Philanthropy. She is also a recipient of the Women of Excellence Legacy Award by the

National Association for Female Executives, and a recipient of the Women of Power Award by the National

Urban League.

In 2013, Deb’s responsibilities within the organization significantly expanded as she was appointed President

of GE Foundation, where she would go on to spearhead the transformation of communities and shape the

diverse workforce of tomorrow by leveraging the power of GE.

For her steadfast contributions in diversity and philanthropy, Elam was awarded an honorary Doctor of

Science from Clarkson University in 2016.

Deb holds membership in a number of critical organizations. She is a member of the Executive Leadership

Council (ELC) – an organization of the top African Americans in Corporate America; The National Black

MBA Association; Delta Sigma Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Inc. Additionally, Deb is on the Board of

Directors at the LSU Foundation and The New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute.

In June, Deb launched Corporate Playbook, a business consulting firm in which she serves as President and

CEO. The firm coaches organizations to elevate diversity, inclusion, and philanthropy. Its specializations

include executive development, strategic solutions, and the empowerment of women to shatter the glass

ceiling.

Strategic Planning Update

The ACCE staff and volunteers are undertaking a series of situational assessments in preparation for this year’s strategic planning initiative. They include:

1. CEO listening tour with 150+ chamber executives, members and non-members2. Surveys of both ACCE members and non-members (findings to be shared at NOLA board

meeting)3. Revenue trends analysis (also to be shared in NOLA)4. IT audit5. Interviews with young professionals (YPs) in the field and supporting research on

engagement preferences6. A facilitated board retreat in NOLA7. Pending staff survey and staff retreat in May

YP Interviews and Accompanying Research

Below is a brief overview of the YP interviews and IT audit findings:

ACCE conducted human-centered design interviews of Gen Y/millennials working at chambers. Key takeaways include:

1. The Gen Y/millennial generation is very community conscious.2. They believe they are expected to be the change makers.3. Mentors are very important as long as the mentor also respects what the mentee brings to

the table. Curiosity is a two-way street.4. There is surprise and excitement about the major impact chambers have on their

communities. There are misconceptions about what a chamber does, who it serves and the depth/breadth of chambers’ impacts in communities; an opportunity for education

5. Millennials enjoy an environment with teamwork, a fast pace, variety, clear expectations and personal recognition

Findings from Association Trends online course, “Members to Millennials”: • Clunky web and phone apps will not be used by millennials no matter how valuable the

information.• Gen Y volunteer style – want structure, increased responsibility, and immediate feedback.

Findings from Deloitte Worldwide Study on Gen Y’s Beliefs and Values: 1. Businesses are behaving in an increasingly responsible manner; but have yet to realize their

potential to alleviate society’s biggest problems (political tension and terrorism, hunger,healthcare, inequality, and climate change)

2. Flexible working (time, location, role, and recruitment) encourages loyalty in Gen Y andmakes a significant contribution to business performance

3. The outside world might be increasingly unstable, but Gen Y change makers believe that by working together, there is hope to improve performance of both business and society

4. The only mature market where the majority of Gen Y expect to be better off than their parents is in the United States.

5. 54% of Gen Y are provided with opportunities through their employer to contribute to “good causes” which make them more loyal to the employer. These activities boost their sense of empowerment and purpose.

6. Small scale activities at the local level offer a greater sense of influence. These activities, collectively, may make a greater impact than trying to tackle issues “head on”.

IT Audit

ACCE contracted with an outside firm specializing in association technology audits and best practices. A comprehensive analysis was conducted of our: processes/procedures; website; IT consultant and related services; hardware, software, computers, and subscriptions; phones; database; interactive webinar and sharing platforms; networks; servers; hosting; cloud interface; remote connectivity; member-facing tech experience; and security.

Consideration was given to both internal staff experience as well as external, members’ experience in utilizing our technology. Key findings were:

1. A need for improved internal processes, procedures, controls and integration between tech components; staff accountability needed for the overall IT function Plan: a staff reorganization and IT roadmap are in progress

2. Need improvements in IT infrastructure Plan: team is working to address these in 2018

3. Website in need of modernization and simplification Plan: budgeted for in 2018-19

4. Security gaps were detected Plan: were addressed immediately; complete

5. There’s a need to assess tools for collaboration and information-sharing among members Plan: will assess options in 2018 including online discussion forums, apps and others

6. Opportunities exist to better leverage existing technology to simplify internal processes Plan: will be part of IT roadmap

7. Data analytics could be leveraged more across all platforms Plan: will be part of communications and IT strategies this year

The end result of the audit is to make the member experience as smooth and user-friendly as possible, while also simplifying the staff experience. The findings have given us strong direction to make improvements across the board.

ACCE Revenue Programs Chris Mead, Sr. Vice President

Membership: Steady Growth

With ACCE’s fiscal year end, ACCE membership statistics are encouraging. Membership for the first 11

months of the fiscal year, ending in February 2018, totaled $1,587,354. That’s 2 percent above budget (2017-

18, ending on March 31, 2018). We are budgeting modest growth of about 1.7 percent in FY 2018-19 to

$1.76 million. Our conservatism is based on trend analysis, staff having already pushed hard on member

compliance to the dues schedule and having reached many (but not all) potential investors in Horizon

memberships.

Membership numbers have continued to grow:

Membership Statistics for ACCE

Fiscal Year

April 1, 2017

Start Mar 28, 2018 End

Total Members 1,504 1,574

Chamber Members 1,233 1,252

New Members 176

New Member Value $99,736

Canceled Members as of Mar 28 106

Cancel $ Loss as of Mar 28 $60,361

That new-member total is up from an already impressive total of 157 the previous year. Nice work, Dana and

volunteers!

Both chamber and non-chamber groups (companies, economic development organizations, etc.) have

increased. We passed the 1,500-member mark last year. Many of you have helped us with referrals and

guidance, notably Membership Committee Chair Pat MulQueeny and his volunteers. On the staff side, Dana

continues to work tirelessly, always cultivating prospects. Meanwhile, Tamara, Chris, and Dana together keep

their fingers in the dike of renewals.

A major source of membership revenue is Horizon membership ($2,500 above regular dues) and the All

ACCEss Pass ($995 above regular dues). Each comes with unique benefits and with the extra support, ACCE

develops capabilities that ultimately benefit all chambers of commerce.

Currently ACCE has 27 All ACCEss Pass holders and 58 Horizon investors. Renewals for both have been

strong. Together these programs account for roughly 9 percent of ACCE membership revenue.

Corporate Activity

We’ve embraced some changes in ACCE corporate sponsorships. Our official corporate sponsors (paying

$30,000 per year) will continue to receive service commensurate with that level of investment. And our

exhibitors ($3,795) will continue to enjoy booths at the largest chamber executives’ event in the Americas. But

while our sponsor/exhibitor “dealership” has had Maseratis and Fords to offer, we have had next to nothing

in between.

That has begun to change. We now have six companies that are “silver” sponsors in ACCE (as compared

with the official corporate sponsors, which increasingly will be called “gold”). Those $15,000 silver sponsors

are entitled to benefits that are approximately half of those of gold sponsors, such as a half-page ad in

Chamber Executive instead of a full page, and a single “silver” booth at the convention instead of the double

booth for gold sponsors.

Overall, including annual sponsors, advertising, and convention exhibits and sponsorship, corporate

investment in ACCE is poised in the 2018-2019 fiscal year to top $700,000.

Convention

Convention exhibitors in Des Moines are already strong. There are 89 booths available for sale, and 67 have

been taken. So with 75 percent of the booths gone, we have 3 ½ months in which to sell the rest. This strong

demand is an extraordinary tip of the hat to ACCE by the service provider community. Please thank these

companies when you see them in Des Moines.

Des Moines convention sponsorship is also looking strong. (And thank you, Jay and the Greater Des Moines

Partnership, for your host sponsorship and your and your team’s constant assistance to ACCE in so many

ways.)

Revenue from ACCE’s official corporate sponsors is not counted toward the convention, so our total

sponsorship investment for convention is actually higher than it appears. Most official corporate sponsors

value the convention above anything else that ACCE does for them.

Can you help ensure that our Des Moines sponsors and exhibitors do sell out? If you know of a company

with which you think we should be talking, please contact Chris Mead (cmead@acce.org) or Dana Ketterling

(dketterling@acce.org). Thank you!

Networks Update Kelle Marsalis, Vice Chair

Network Development Community Peer Groups

• Metro Cities Council: The Metro Cities Council held two successful meetings, November 2017 in

Brooklyn, N.Y. and February 2018 in Phoenix, Ariz. Topics covered included education and

workforce development partnerships, NAFTA, disruptive technologies, economic and community

development trends and general challenges/open discussion topics.

o Convention Meeting & Dinner: The convention meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday,

July 19. A joint dinner with the Major Cities Council will be held at 6 p.m. on July 19.

o Fall 2018 Meeting: The fall meeting will be held October 24-25 in Grand Rapids Michigan.

• Major Cities Council: The winter 2018 Major Cities Council meeting was held in Boca Raton, Fla.

Topics covered included tourism, workforce, responding to community crises and chamber career

advancement. The convention meeting and dinner will be held on July 19 and planning is underway

for the 2019 stand-alone meeting.

• Emerging Cities Council: Recent monthly calls focused on employer-to-employee

communications, leadership programs and board governance. Convention meeting and dinner will be

held on July 19.

• Hometown Chamber Council: Recent quarterly calls covered mission-focused leadership and

policy programs for smaller chambers. The convention meeting and dinner will be held on July 19.

• University Communities Council: The council is partnering with the International Downtown

Association on its 2018 College Town Summit, which will be held May 2-3 in Boulder, Colorado. Council leadership helped to plan some of the breakout sessions and we will hold a chamber peer

meeting during the event.

Divisions

• Communications & Marketing Division: The division meeting at convention will be held on July

18 at 2 p.m.

• Diversity & Inclusion Division: The division continues its efforts to develop tools and resources

for chambers to learn more about launching DEI programing. We also partnered with the Greater

Cleveland Partnership’s Commission on Economic Inclusion on March 2018 peer meeting of

advanced chamber DEI practitioners. The division is planning an entire track of programming at

convention, and the division meeting at convention will be held on July 18 at 9 a.m.

• Economic Development Division: Division volunteers are planning the annual Connecting with

Site Consultants program at convention, which will be held on July 19, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.. This

year’s program will be recognized by the International Economic Development Council as a

professional development event counting toward recertification of Certified Economic Developers

(CEcD).

• Education Attainment Division: Several program updates to report, including:

o The third EAD Annual Meeting was held in March. Hosted by the Austin Chamber, the

meeting attracted 40 participants.

o The fourth cohort of EAD fellows will complete the program in April 2018. Applications

for the fifth cohort will open on May 1.

o We will launch the new Healthy Communities Cohort program in October, with the support

of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The year-long professional development program

will support 10 chambers seeking to address a community health challenge.

• Events and Programs Division: ACCE will launch a peer group for events and programming

professionals at convention, spinning it out of the Membership Development Division.

• Government Relations Division: Recent monthly roundtable calls have focused on transportation

funding, paid family leave, advocacy communications and community outreach. Division leadership

is planning its annual in-person meeting for the fall, which is open to any full-time government

relations staffer from a member chamber. The division meeting at convention will be held on July 18

at 2 p.m.

• Membership Development Division: The division’s new sales mentorship program kicked off this

year with 15 mentor-mentee pairings. A series of roundtable calls specifically for new membership

professionals will begin this spring in response to the demand for educational and networking

opportunities for those just beginning chamber sales careers. These calls will supplement our regular

series of roundtables and newsletters with content for membership professionals at all career stages.

Our annual sales contest ends on May 31, and the lifetime sales achievement award deadline is June

1. A division meeting and a membership track of educational programming are both planned for

convention this year.

Diversity and Inclusion Progress Report March 2018

Background With guidance from a working group comprised of board members and leaders from the Diversity and

Inclusion Division, the ACCE Board of Directors formally adopted this inclusion commitment statement in

October 2015:

For the betterment of the association, chamber leaders and the communities they serve,

ACCE will champion access and equity of opportunity through intentional inclusion of all.

Additionally, the board identified three areas of impact to address first:

1. Inclusion Culture: Ingrain inclusion principles, strategies and tactics into the culture and work of

the entire association. This will include examination of educational content, governance processes,

professional certification, and recognition program criteria.

2. Business Case: Articulate the compelling business case for chamber-led efforts to promote

inclusion and diversity.

3. Career Advancement: Coach, train and help to position chamber professionals from

underrepresented groups to explore career advancement opportunities in the chamber industry.

Activity to Date

Deliverable Impact Area Completion Date

“Coping with Crisis” cover story package in fall issue of Chamber Executive magazine

Inclusion Culture, Business Case

10/31/15

Inclusion Commitment webpage created under “About Us” – on par with Mission/Vision Statement webpage

Inclusion Culture 12/1/15

Diversity and Inclusion highlighted as an industry priority in ACCE’s Horizon Initiative presentations

Inclusion Culture Ongoing (50+ since May)

Organizational D&I self-assessment tool identified – ASAE Completed assessments in March 2016 & March 2017

Inclusion Culture 12/1/15

“Diversity & Inclusion” added to 2016 Convention presentation online solicitation form

Inclusion Culture 12/31/15

Chairman’s Message in Winter 2016 issue of Chamber Executive magazine focused on ACCE’s D&I Commitment

Inclusion Culture 12/31/15

Integration of inclusion into Education Attainment Division annual work plan and priorities (Started with EAD because of overlap)

Inclusion Culture 2/16/16

Completed Chamber business case report and published executive summary in the winter 2017 issue of Chamber Executive magazine

Business Case 2/15/17

Secured first two DEI grants to support ACCE’s organizational capacity building efforts – Hewlett Foundation & Kellogg Foundation

Business Case 3/1/17

Concluded the first cohort of the new Diversity Leadership Scholarship program. Debriefed with participants to plan the next cohort.

Career Advancement

7/17/17

“The Inclusive Chamber” Chamber Executive Magazine feature highlighting the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s best practices in the fall 2017 issue

Business Case 11/15/17

The Greater Cleveland Partnership hosted a convening of advanced chamber DEI practitioners

Business Case 3/13/18

2018 Work Plan Impact Area 1: Inclusion Culture We’ve made significant progress in this area, but important engagement opportunities remain. As we seek

feedback and open new dialogues, it will be important to define outcomes and success metrics.

Deliverable Goal Target Completion

Open dialog with national select market chambers.

Establish a productive open communications channel with potential partners like US Hispanic Chamber, US Black Chamber, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber, National LGBT Chamber and others.

5/31/18

Develop recruitment and engagement strategy for minority-serving chambers.

R&D member and nonmember perceptions of ACCE and develop tactics as part of the new ACCE strategic plan to build relationships and strengthen engagement.

10/31/18

Initiate discussion about diversity and inclusion with CCE Commission.

Share board’s commitment with key governance body, explore opportunities

10/31/18

Develop specific deliverables re: CCE Better integrate D&I into the CCE process starting with the 2017 certification cycle.

10/31/18

Initiate discussion about diversity and inclusion COY Committee

Share board’s commitment with key governance body, explore opportunities

10/31/18

Develop specific deliverables re: COY Better integrate D&I into the COY process starting with the 2017 awards cycle.

10/31/18

Initiate discussion with U.S. Chamber Institute Board of Regents

Establish a productive open communications channel with a potential partner. Get space on a Board of Regents meeting agenda to share ACCE’s Inclusion priorities and vision for the industry.

10/31/18

Develop “Inclusion Fundamentals” toolkit for chambers

Streamline ACCE resources into a simple online toolkit to help chambers new to inclusion programming build organizational capacity.

12/31/18

Planned Future Deliverables in Inclusion Culture Impact Area:

• Develop inclusion priorities for all divisions and member subgroups

• Diversity awareness/sensitivity training for staff, board and members

Impact Area 2: Business Case The first-year deliverables in this impact area all led toward a single outcome – publication of a report to

comprehensively, yet concisely, outline the compelling business case for chambers of commerce to pursue

inclusion objectives. The report was co-authored by Chris Benner, Ph.D. from the University of California,

Santa Cruz and Manuel Pastor, Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, was published in February

2017. It included community, economic, and chamber business model arguments. The executive summary

was published in the Winter 2017 edition of Chamber Executive magazine and staff developed a one-page

business case to promote the report and share key findings and chamber best practices.

Deliverable Goal Target Completion

Develop full track of DEI programing for 2018 convention.

Highlight multiple areas of DEI work and showcase chamber best practices to inspire more

7/20/18

chambers to act. Highlight the cross functional nature of DEI work as it relates to economic development, talent retention, community impact and chamber operations.

Strengthen peer engagement opportunities for chamber professionals with advanced DEI goals and programming.

Offer more advanced programming, including an annual in-person event, for attainer chambers to build on the convening hosted by the Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Commission on Economic Inclusion.

9/31/18

Continue to leverage chamber business case to inform member chambers.

Strengthen DEI participation by attracting more member chambers to this area of work.

ongoing

Develop a DEI assessment for chambers

Develop a tool to help ACCE team “meet members where they are,” assess next steps to build capacity and make meaningful peer connections.

10/31/16

Develop “Inclusion Fundamentals” toolkit for chambers

Streamline ACCE resources into a simple online toolkit to help chambers new to inclusion programming build organizational capacity

12/31/18

Possible Future Deliverables in Business Case Impact Area:

• Research on attitudes and perceptions by underserved communities about chamber of commerce

• More detailed exploration of public policy options around an economic inclusion agenda

Impact Area 3: Career Advancement This area may have the largest potential impact, but it will also take the most time to execute well and see

results. Given key staff turnover, it is crucial that ACCE prioritizes this area in 2018.

Deliverable Goal Target Completion

Create a research plan to quantify diversity in the chamber industry

Assess what information is currently available and develop research plan to obtain data needed.

12/31/18

Initiate discussions with principals at each of the leading executive search firms serving the chamber industry.

Establish a productive open communications channel with key industry partners.

12/31/18

Implement changes to the cohort-based executive leadership program for chamber professionals from underrepresented groups.

Update program curriculum based on feedback from the first cohort.

6/30/18

Build a business model and identify funding sources to scale the leadership program.

Identify philanthropic or corporate partners to provide funding to strengthen and expand the program.

12/31/18

Planned Future Deliverables in Career Advancement Impact Area:

• Professional development and services for diverse candidates seeking to enter the profession

• Chamber career promotion/internship program targeting members of underrepresented groups.

Fringe Benefits, Inc. Lacey Toledano, IOM

Chair

The Benefits Team is has wrapped up the annual review and compliance testing for the 401k profit sharing plan and is now gearing up for the 401k plan audit which will run through early July. Implementation of the 401k enhancements approved by the ACCE Benefit Trust were completed during the November 2017 meeting. This includes a new money flow designed to improve transparency and reduce risk for both the Benefits Trust and FBI. Also approved are additional quality control services for the participating employers in the 401k to further minimize compliance issues at the local level. This new service will be implemented throughout the remainder of 2018 and likely all of 2019. The growth and retention numbers for the insurance programs remained steady, while the retirement programs saw significant increases in 2017 due to an increase in new business activity combined with very strong market performance. Stacey anticipates new sales activity will level out a bit in 2018 as there is a greater focus on required due diligence for both the retirement and insurance programs this year.

ACCE External Affairs Engagement As the national association serving and representing the chamber community, it’s critical that ACCE staff spend a significant amount of time imbedded in the field both listening and assisting as needed. This takes the form of chamber visits for strategic guidance and idea-sharing, speaking and facilitation opportunities, attending broad-based events highlighting issues that impact chambers and the constituents they serve, and outreach to other major stakeholders, including but not limited to: media; national associations; universities, etc. This list does not include events hosted by ACCE or chamber executive meetings not held at chamber locations:

ACCE Staffer Date Event Location Description

Sheree Anne Kelly Sept. ‘17 MD Chamber Executive Advisory Council

Cambridge, MD

Attended and shared brief remarks during policy and advocacy conference

Chris Mead & Sheree Anne Kelly

Sept. ‘17 Frederick County Chamber of Commerce

Frederick, MD

Chris presented on history of chambers at former chairmen’s reception; Sheree Anne delivered brief welcome

Will Burns Oct. ‘17 USCoC Government Affairs Conference

Chicago, IL Attended

Molly Blankenship Oct. ‘17 Advancing Justice Conference

Washington, DC

Attended smart justice meeting

Sheree Anne Kelly Oct. ‘17 Howard County Chamber of Commerce

Columbia, MD

Met with CEO and select staff; heard about priorities and initiatives

Sheree Anne Kelly Nov. ‘17 Florida Association of Chamber Professionals

Atlantic Beach, FL

Attended

Sheree Anne Kelly Dec. ‘17 Ohio Metro Chamber CEOs/VPs

Columbus, OH

Attended and shared feedback from listening tour

Sheree Anne Kelly Dec. ‘17 Cincinnati Regional Chamber of Commerce

Cincinnati, OH

Met with senior staff for download on their new DEI, entrepreneur and other initiatives

Will Burns Dec. ‘17 AARP Business Roundtable

Washington, DC

Attended: featured potential partner and peer organizations

Sheree Anne Kelly Dec. ‘17 VA-NC Chamber exec. meet-and-greet

Richmond, VA

Chamber RVA hosted a roundtable discussion for regional chamber execs

Sheree Anne Kelly & Erika Borg (contractor)

Jan. ‘17 Council of State Chambers Winter Meeting

Marco Island, FL

Sheree Anne presented on PAC best practices; Erika presented on Foundation funding

Michelle De Graff Jan. ‘17 CANYS Winter Conference

Albany, NY Spoke on workforce panel

Sheree Anne Kelly Feb. ‘17 Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) Conference

Henderson, NV

Keynote at conference

Tamara Philbin & Molly Blankenship

Feb. ‘17 Philadelphia Chamber’s Young Professionals Leadership Mtg

Philadelphia, PA

Facilitated discussion and shared insights on integrating YP group into chamber activities

Molly Blankenship Feb. ‘17 Learning Policy Institute Conference

Washington, DC

Attended conference on education attainment

Heather Birdsall (LA)

Feb. ‘17 Conference hosted by White House “Putting People with Criminal Records to Work”

Washington, DC

Attended roundtable with governors and business leaders on re-entry

Sheree Anne Kelly & Crystal Moore

Feb. ‘17 Social Capital Conference

Alexandria, VA

Attended conference for non-profit, business and foundation leaders on future of sustainable impact and philanthropy

Will Burns & Molly Blankenship

Mar. ‘17 Toward Racial Equity: Regional Approaches to Inclusive Business Growth

Cleveland, OH

Attended DEI convening hosted by Greater Cleveland Partnership

Will Burns Mar. ‘17 Chambers & Immigration Convening

Salt Lake City, UT

Attended event hosted by New American Economy and Salt Lake Chamber

Sheree Anne Kelly Mar. ‘17 U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Washington, DC

Met with interim CEO to discuss partnerships and future collaboration

Sheree Anne Kelly Apr. ‘17 Boston Chamber of Commerce & Mass. Association of Chamber Execs

Boston & Worcester, MA

Meeting with Boston Chamber team; Keynoting MACCE meeting

Sheree Anne Kelly Apr. ‘17 MAKO Annual Conference

Branson, MO Keynote at conference

Pending speaking engagements for Sheree Anne include May events for Colorado Association of Chamber Executives and the Maryland Association of Chamber Executives. Pending June presentations planned for Michigan Chamber CEOs, TCCE/TAB conference in Texas and ICEA Conference in Indiana. Do you know of events at which our team should speak? Conferences worth attending? Let us know. We love getting out of the office. Tell Sheree Anne – skelly@acce.org.