Turlock Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Sharon Silva was recognized as an Accredited Chamber Executive by the Western Association of Chamber Executives.

The designation is awarded to only those chamber executives who meet stringent criteria set by the association’s board of directors.

Silva was one of three chamber of commerce executives awarded accreditation this year at the association’s annual conference in Los Angeles.

The accreditation program was first awarded in 1993 to encourage chamber executives to upgrade and expand their skills through continuing education and training programs in the chamber management and business fields.  There are currently a total of 43 ACE recipients active in chambers of commerce in the West.

Recipients of the Accredited Chamber Executive must apply for re-accreditation every five years in order to retain the designation.

WACE is an association of approximately 850 chamber executives and staff professionals with members in eighteen Western states and Canada.  The association’s mission is to promote and enhance the professional development of chamber of commerce executives.  WACE is the largest state or regional association of chamber of commerce executives in the United States.