Oceanside Chamber CEO Graduates from W.A.C.E. Academy

Oceanside Chamber CEO, Scott Ashton was among the 28 chamber executives to graduate last Friday from Academy, a professional development program presented by the Western Association of Chamber Executives (W.A.C.E.) The graduation took place at W.A.C.E’s Annual Conference in Portland OR, attended by nearly 400 industry professionals.

Academy is a three-day (three-year) intensive program on chamber management essentials geared for today’s chamber executives and professional staff.  It has become the leading training program totally devoted to chamber professionals in the West.

“We congratulate all of the graduates and their chambers for having the vision to invest in professional development,” said W.A.C.E. President Dave Kilby.

During the three-year Academy program, graduates participated in 18 three-hour classes and must successfully complete additional independent study outside of the classroom. Classroom topics included financial management, legal issues, strategic planning, policy/political action, media relations, economic development, membership development and more.

“I am pleased to be a part of an industry that is so supportive of the professional development of its members”, said Ashton. “Academy was a tremendous resource as I was transitioning into the role of CEO at the Oceanside Chamber. The classroom curriculum along with peer interaction created a strong foundation for success during these past few years”.

Ashton is also a 2004 graduate of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organizational Management.
The Chamber’s Director of Membership and Oceanside Young Professionals, Emerald Lowe, also attended the Annual Conference and will begin the Academy program this August.

W.A.C.E is an association of chamber of commerce executives and staff professionals designed to promote and enhance professional development. With approximately 870 members from nineteen Western states and Canada, W.A.C.E. is the largest state or regional association of chamber of commerce executives in the United States.