CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVES OF ALBERTA
About CCEA:
Helping Chamber Managers build a better Alberta!
CCEA is a Chapter of CCEC. All members of CCEC based in Alberta will automatically receive a complimentary membership with CCEA.
Questions? Contact Alberta@CCEC.biz
Chapter Committee:
Chair: Marilyne Aalhus, Airdrie Regional Chamber of Commerce
Vice Chair: Scott Robinson, Red Deer & District Chamber of Commerce
Past Chair: Shelly Nichol, St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce
Member: Dawn LeMaistre, Okotoks & District Chamber of Commerce
Member: Sacha Knorr, Alberta Chambers of Commerce
Member: Norman Leach, Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce
Alberta Chamber Executives AGM
ACE's AGM will be taking place on November 28th at 3:00pm, during the Alberta Chambers of Commerce Fall Board Meeting & Deputy Ministers Dinner event.
For more information, or to register for this event, visit the Alberta Chambers' website here.
Notice of Intent to Dissolve:
ACE is providing notice to its members that it intends to dissolve the non-profit organization, and become a Chapter of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Canada. We have reached the end of a 1-year trial period, and are eager to fully commit to the new model.
Our Board of Directors will be bringing forward a motion to dissolve at the upcoming AGM.
Virtual Participation:
Zoom is available for those who aren't able to attend in-person:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 842 9279 9201
Passcode: 362494
Meeting Materials:
Download the AGM agenda and Slate of Directors here.
Download Minutes from the 2023 AGM here.
Download ACE's income statement here.
Apply To Host Summit 2025 In Your Community!
Every summer CCEA hosts a professional development Summit for Chamber professionals. The purpose of this event is to provide learning, mentoring and networking opportunities for Chamber professionals across Alberta.
We are looking for hosts who are enthusiastic about showcasing their community, and supporting the professional development of Chamber professionals across Alberta.
Summit is hosted during the second week of July, typically Wednesday through Friday. In 2024, the conference started with a group lunch at 12:00pm on Wednesday, and ended with lunch to-go on Friday at 12:00pm.
We are expecting 35-40 conference attendees, and an additional 6 people attending as sponsors.
Detailed information about Summit, including tips for completing the Host Proposal Application can be found in the Host Proposal Guide here.
Download the Host Proposal Application here.
Submit your proposal to Alberta@CCEC.biz by January 21, 2025
As an incentive to encourage local Chambers to host Summit, CCEA has implemented a "Surplus and Deficit Policy", where 50% of the event's net profit may be shared with the local chamber. For detailed information, view CCEA's Surplus and Deficit Policy here.
Important Information:
Download the Host Proposal Guide here.
Download the Host Proposal Application (spreadsheet) here.
Download CCEA's Surplus and Deficit Policy here.
Legacy Bursary Program
The purpose of the Chamber of Commerce Executives of Alberta Legacy Bursary Program is to provide financial assistance for up to 5 CCEA members to attend the CCEC national professional development conference.
The five bursaries are a legacy to honor Chamber executives we have lost:
- Irven Snider (Ponoka and Alberta)
- Pat Tenney (Lloydminster)
- Peggy Lapinski (Alberta)
- Cindy Taschuk (Rocky Mountain House)
- Kelly Carson (Executive Director, Cochrane & District Chamber of Commerce)
The bursaries may be awarded each year, up to a maximum of $1000 to cover conference registration fees, hotel accommodation and travel expenses. Receipts must be provided to CCEA.
Detailed information including general eligibility, and selection criteria is available here.
Applications for 2025 will open in January!
Get To Know Our 2024 Alberta Chamber Executive of the Year:
Sarah Freeman, Executive Director, Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce
I have been with the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce going into my 3-rd year this June 2024. Along this journey of being the Executive Director and growing a new Chamber with 9 amazing board members we have seen tremendous growth in our membership, more collaboration in our community, and building strong lasting connections with members and partners.
We now have 2 networking events running between Canmore & Banff alternating months between both communities (Bevvies & Business, and Coffee Connector) this has been a success with slowly building trusted relationships across the Bow Valley. We now have 3 successful signature events that run every year (Bow Valley Business Excellence Awards, Ungolfed, and Bow Valley Women in Business). The Bow Valley Women in Business is something that sits close to my heart, and I was able to bring to life this past March 7 in celebration of Internation Women’s Day and this will happen each year around the same time, along with 1 other BVC Women in Business thanks to partners, generous donation, and the support of our community believing in a vision.
We continue to collaborate with other organization one step at a time, and thanks to the recent grant through ACC & Alberta Government we are collaborating with the Job Resource Centre on upcoming Job Fairs to enhance them, we are already seeing the results of community collaboration, and opening more opportunity for smaller businesses to take part in the Job Fairs. We collaborate monthly with our local radio station 106.5 Mountain FM with monthly Member spotlights, interviews about our events or programming, and I have been doing the recording of ads for events and collaborative events with partners.
We have now run 2 Peer Masterminds and just completed Cohort 2 and looking at Cohort 3 in the fall 2024.
Outside of the BVCC I am on a committee with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce called “Inclusive Growth Committee”. I attended my first meeting the other week with 15 other committee members across Canada. I am grateful to have my voice in this space for our members and beyond.
Finally, we have seen a 20% growth at BVCC year after year, and we would like to see that keep moving in this direction through building relationships, listening, and supporting our business community and being a voice for our members. (Photo credit to Alexis McKeown).
