Gilbert Zavala, Vice President Education & Talent Development for the Austin Chamber of Commerce, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for ACCE, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, an Alexandria, Va.-based association of over 9,000 professionals who work for and with more than 1,300 chambers of commerce.

Members of ACCE’s board of directors represent more than 50 organizations, including many of the world’s largest and most influential regional chambers of commerce.

“We are pleased to welcome Gilbert Zavala to the ACCE Board of Directors,” said Sheree Anne Kelly, president & CEO of ACCE. “They join the organization’s volunteer leadership at an exciting time as we implement our new strategic plan that’s crafted to support and elevate the exceptional community advancement efforts of chambers of commerce. His expertise complements our board of directors’ skills, and we’re confident he will provide valuable perspective and insight as we continue to strengthen the organizations that are creating change across the globe.”

Under Gilbert’s leadership, the Austin Chamber of Commerce has received national recognition for its educational attainment and talent development strategies. Most recently Austin was recognized as a National Talent Hub by the Lumina Foundation. The Chamber also received ACCE’s Regional Innovation Award for its Education and Workforce Initiatives and these efforts have been recognized as models by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, White House Reach Higher Initiative/National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success and the National League of Cities. Gilbert was also previously awarded an ACCE Education Attainment Division Fellowship and an ACCE Scholarship for Leadership Diversity. Gilbert was recently elected to Co-Chair ACCE’s Education and Talent Development Division which focuses on improving the capacity of chambers to engage their business communities to have a measurable and sustainable impact on improving education and workforce development outcomes.

The mission of ACCE is to support and develop chamber professionals to lead businesses and their communities. ACCE identifies and analyzes trends affecting communities, shares best practices, and develops benchmarking studies, in addition to providing other tools to help chamber leaders manage and improve operations at their organization.

Congratulations to Gilbert! We are proud to have him as a part of our team and proud of all he does to help our students and talent pool receive the education and skills they need to find work, provide for their families, and keep the Central Texas economy among the most prosperous in Texas and beyond.