The Designation is Not the Destination

Here at the League we often talk about the CAE journey; sometimes that journey is longer to earn the designation than for others, but it is in the process of preparation for the CAE exam that we develop our skills and hone our knowledge. We learn about ourselves and find our strengths. During this process, we meet new people and make new connections.

But earning the designation is not the destination; it is a stop on the journey of continuing professional development. It is the first stop to continued personal growth and service to our colleagues and our profession.

To become a Certified Association Executive (CAE) is to make a commitment to yourself as a professional, but you also make a commitment to the profession. You demonstrate that you are serious about what you do and why you do it. By achieving the CAE designation, you show the world that you strive to work at a higher level and that you made a promise to yourself to continue your education and your skill development.

Earning the CAE is the beginning of the REAL journey – commitment to your future and to the future of the profession. As a CAE, we make a commitment to help others and to model ethical behavior and leadership qualities no matter our title or job.

To protect the integrity of our profession, we must communicate that it is a subspecialty of business management that requires certain skills and experience. Supporting our professional certification program is a way to deliver this message.

The 501c League is committed to helping our colleagues in the nonprofit profession earn the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation and to maintain it through services and programs. We can’t guarantee any outcome, but we can guarantee we will be there for our colleagues and for our profession.