Ford Overview

Education & Events

In This Section:

Overview • ACCE Conventions • 2008 Convention • Regional Seminars • DIALogue Tele-Seminars • Call For Speakers • Ford RSD Fellowship

The Ford Foundation Fellowship for
Regional Sustainable Development (RSD)

With the generous support of the Ford Foundation, ACCE is again offering chamber and regional leaders an opportunity to engage in the Fellowship for Regional Sustainable Development. This unique and exclusive 12-month program will instill a deeper understanding of regional thinking, strategies and opportunities that will help Fellows grow and develop competitive economies and communities. With the assistance of the Alliance for Regional Stewardship, the Citistates Group and FutureWorks, a policy and consulting firm, ACCE is providing this educational program to chamber and business leaders of today and tomorrow.

The Fellowship provides hands-on training, peer knowledge exchange, research and examination of working models on a wide-range of sustainability issues, such as:

Infrastructure;
Land use;
Environmental stewardship;
Housing;
Minority inclusion;
Workforce development;
Education;
Immigration; and
Inner-city challenges.

Fellows become part of a cadre of influential leaders who are ready to apply their knowledge to make their own regions more prosperous, vital and inclusive. The growing cadre will, in turn, reinforce the national and global movement benefiting regional economies everywhere.

The first class of RSD Fellows contributed to the development of a policy and practices white paper that outlines how business-civic organizations can advance a regional agenda for growth. "Sustainable Economies and Strong Communities: Regional Chamber Strategies for Growth" focuses on the work that institutions such as chambers of commerce and economic development organizations are doing to build a better regional “product”—the institutions, infrastructure, social conditions and business environment that lead to long-term stability and economic prosperity. Click here to download a copy of the report, authored by FutureWorks and co-published in August 2008 as a monograph with the Alliance for Regional Stewardship.

Program format and schedule

Each cohort group meets for three in-person, symposium-style sessions taught by carefully selected scholars and professional practitioners. In addition, Fellows prepare and implement individual regional action projects targeting their service area. Between meetings, Fellows remain engaged with readings, DIALogue webinars, and one-on-one coaching and guidance to help with their regional action projects. At the conclusion of the program, new findings and additional best practice lessons will be incorporated into the policy-practice library of resources offered through the Alliance for Regional Stewardship.

The schedule for the program is:

Cohort 1:

Begin study	August 2008
First meeting	September 17-19, 2008 (Long Beach, California)
Second meeting	January 14-16, 2009 (St. Louis, Missouri)
Third meeting	April 1-3, 2009
Graduation	Spring 2009

Cohort 2:

Begin study	September 2008
First meeting	October 15-17, 2008 (Long Beach, California)
Second meeting	February 11-13, 2009 (St. Louis, Missouri)
Third meeting	May 13-15, 2009
Graduation	Summer 2009

Cohort 3:

Begin study	October 2008
First meeting	November 17-21, 2008 (Long Beach, California)
Second meeting	March 11-13, 2009 (St. Louis, Missouri)
Third meeting	June 17-19, 2009
Graduation	Summer 2009

Locations and exact meeting times will be provided well in advance of each meeting.

Meet the Fellows

In June 2008, ACCE announced the selection of 50 new RSD Fellows from across North America. The Fellows were divided into three cohorts of up to 18 fellows, groups composed to ensure optimal knowledge exchange and networking based on geographic, demographic and organizational diversity.

Cohort I:

Rafael Carbonell, Thrive (WI)
Mary Graham, CCE, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce (SC)
Ellen Horan, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PA)
Kristofer Johnson, IOM, St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce (MN)
Jerry Mallot, CCE, IOM, Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce (FL)
Michael Malone, Northwest Arkansas Council (AR)
Kelly Miller, Asheville Chamber of Commerce (NC)
Andrew Moretz, IOM, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce (NC)
Lou Ann Nisbett, The Alliance (AR)
Wendy Northcross, CCE, IOM, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce (MA)
Judith Prince, University of South Carolina Upstate (SC)
Kristi Ray, IOM, Columbia Chamber of Commerce (MO)
Jeff Severs, Greater Spokane Inc (WA)
Jack Wong, CMA, Vancouver Board of Trade (BC)
Steve Wray, Economy League of Greater Philadelphia (PA)

Cohort II:

Dennis Andrews, Richmond-Wayne County Indiana Chamber of Commerce (IN)
Chip Cherry, CCE, Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce (GA)
Chris Cooney, CCE, Metro South Chamber of Commerce (MA)
Daniel Culhane, Ames Chamber of Commerce (IA)
Mica Espinoza, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (TX)
Samuel Garrison, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (CA)
Wendy R. Gramza, CCE, IOM, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (OH)
David Hauser, CCE, IOM, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce (OR)
Jodi Ann LaFreniere, CCE, IOM, Wake Forest Area Chamber of Commerce (NC)
David Martin, CCE, IOM, Chamber of Commerce of Fargo Moorhead (ND)
Paul Matthews, 495/MetroWest Corridor Partnership, Inc. (MA)
Tracye McDaniel, Greater Houston Partnership (TX)
Aaron Nelson, Chapel Hill/Carrboro Chamber of Commerce (NC)
Phillip Parker, CAE, CCE, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce (OH)
Leon F. (Skip) Rowland, Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce (WA)
Melissa R. Roy, Detroit Regional Chamber (MI)
Nadine Francis West, MetroHartford Alliance Inc (CT)
Robert Wright, Rowan County Chamber of Commerce (NC)
Kristina Wyatt, Greater Kansas City (MO)

Cohort III

Marla Akridge, Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce (OH)
Jesse A. Bernstein, Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce (MI)
Thelma Castillo, CCE, Detroit Regional Chamber (MI)
Amy Clickner, Lake Superior Community Partnership (MI)
Myrita Craig, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber (OH)
Barb Denny, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce (OK)
Thomas Donley, CCE, York County Chamber of Commerce (PA)
John Harmon, Metropolitan Trenton African-American Chamber of Commerce (NJ)
Jerry Hoyer, CCE, CID, Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce (CA)
Carl Hum, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (NY)
Paul Jadin, Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (WI)
John Long, III, IOM, CCE, CAE, St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce (FL)
David May, CCE, CAE, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce (CO)
Larry McKinney, CCE, CED, IOM, Daytona Beach-Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce (FL)
Jean McPheeters, IOM, Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce (NY)
Shane Moody, IOM, CCE, Destin Area Chamber of Commerce (FL)
Lance Pressl, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce (IL)
Susan Stauder, St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (MO)
Mark A. V'Soske, CAE, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (OH)
Keva Walton, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce (NC)