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Michelle Donohue of CHLA Earns National Certified Association Executive Designation

Washington, DC – The American Society of Association Executives has announced that Michelle Donohue, Finance & Operations Manager for the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CHLA) has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry with less than five percent of all association professionals having earned the CAE.

Michelle is responsible for all phases of the association’s finances, including accounting, payroll and investments, as well as building operations in her role as the Finance & Operations Manager.  Michelle is the liaison to the CHLA Audit & Investment Committee and oversees the association’s annual independent audit by an outside CPA firm. She has an extensive association background with more than 30 years of association experience, 15 of which have been with CHLA.

Michelle’s accreditation follows her completion this past year of the U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Organization Management program.  This weekly program completed over four years at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles provided Michelle with a foundation of the knowledge essential to the practice of nonprofit management.

Significantly, CHLA now has three Certified Association Executives on its staff.  In addition to passing a stringent examination in association management, a Certified Association Executive applicant must meet minimum experience requirements in nonprofit organization management, complete over 100 hours of specialized professional development, and pledge to uphold a code of ethics. To further maintain the certification, individuals must undertake ongoing professional development and activities in association and nonprofit management. Less than 4,000 association professionals currently hold the CAE credential.