About the Certification
The IACCE Certified Chamber of Commerce Program promotes public awareness of the intent of the chamber of commerce brand as a non-profit community development based business membership organization by providing a peer review process of generally accepted chamber of commerce organizational benchmarks.
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Certification with IACCE defines excellence in chamber planning and recognizes chambers for outstanding contributions toward positive change in their communities. The purpose of the IACCE Certification Program is to facilitate continuing excellence in the chamber industry and to foster a pro-business environment across Illinois.
 
By becoming a certified chamber of commerce, chambers are recognized for sound business practices and for providing responsible and innovative programs to benefit their membership. IACCE is the professional development organization for Illinois chamber professionals. As such, it is our responsibility to guide chamber leaders and support each other.

Implementation
The IACCE Chamber Certification Program is voluntary. Any chamber that is accredited through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is exempt from all application requirements with proof of accreditation. Only IACCE members may apply. Application does not guarantee approval of verification. Certification is based on information provided in the application and is a recognition designation. IACCE is not endorsing the chamber in any legal manner and is not liable for the actions of any certified or uncertified chamber.

Submission Timeline
The deadline to submit applications is June 30th of each year. (No applications are accepted after this date.) Panels of at least three chamber professionals review and score each application. The fee to apply is $250 and must be paid no later than August 31.

Newly certified chambers are recognized during the IACCE annual conference at the annual awards ceremony, including a presentation of a Certified Chamber of Commerce plaque. In addition, a marketing packet is provided to assist the chamber in utilizing certification designation as an effective marketing tool in recruitment efforts.

IACCE established the Accredited Chamber Executive (ACE) Program in 1997 to recognize the professional competency of ​chamber of commerce professionals in the state of Illinois.

The ACE designation is based upon experience, service to IACCE, training, continuing education and personal achievement of IACCE members.

The ACE designation strengthens the career development objectives of IACCE and provides recognition to Chamber professionals in Illinois. Selected recipients receive professional certification that can be included with the recipient's profile, biography and resume. 

Your completed application and supporting materials must be submitted via email to lisa@iacce.org, along with a resume of professional experience and a letter of recommendation by October 1.