Local leader elected to industry board

Robert F. Durkin elected to board of directors for Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives

Robert F. Durkin, president of The Greater Scranton 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 Bob Durkin to the ACCE Board of Directors,” said Sheree Anne Kelly, ACCE president & CEO. “Durkin’s expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to optimize our industry’s opportunities and leverage the ever-growing momentum for innovation, catalytic leadership, and economic vitality within our communities.”

Durkin has served as president of The Chamber since 2013. In his role as president, Durkin oversees planning, finances, staffing, and programming of The Chamber and its affiliate organizations: Lackawanna Industrial Fund Enterprises (LIFE), Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), IGNITE, The Scranton Plan, MetroAction, Leadership Lackawanna, and Skills in Scranton.

Durkin served as president of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute; founding executive director of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority; vice president of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce ( 1988–1993); and has worked in various capacities in the nonprofit and regional government arenas.

Durkin is a graduate of Penn State University and has undertaken advanced studies at the Institute for Public Administration at Penn State University and completed studies at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce  Institute for Organizational Management at the University of Delaware.

He is a member of the ACCE Major Cities Roundtable, Penn State Scranton Advisory Board, the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development Advisory Board, board member and Treasurer of the Regional Foundation LLC.; board member of the Neighborhood Development Trust, Board member of The Arc of NEPA, and is active in regional Challenger (Special Needs) sports..

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 and achieve the highest impact in their communities.

About ACCE

Established in 1914, ACCE is an association of over 9,000 chamber professionals from 1,300 chambers of commerce throughout the United States, including 93 of the top 100 U.S. metro areas and a host of international markets. The combined membership of ACCE chambers is close to one million businesses. Chamber leaders look to ACCE for best practices, networks, and new ideas that will help them advance the interests of their communities. ACCE recommends successful programs and strategies, and identifies trends, partners, and business models that show promise. For more information, visit www.ACCE.org.

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to improve the area’s business, economy, leadership, workforce, and quality of life by offering programs and services that attract, sustain, and grow businesses and jobs in northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information about The Chamber, visit www.scrantonchamber.com.