Jamie Rayford (pictured), the chief operating officer of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce (BACC), has been recognized as a nationally-certified Professional Community and Economic Developer (PCED) by the Community Development Council. According to a release from BACC, a certified PCED proactively improves their community’s physical and human resources — ultimately impacting the quality of life for all citizens.
After completing the Community Development Institute (CDI) training at the University of Central Arkansas, where her peers recognized Rayford’s leadership and integrity with the Ernest Whitelaw Award, she began preparing for her PCED certification exam, the release said.
To be eligible for the PCED certification exam, candidates must be CDI graduates and active, paid professionals in the community and economic development fields. Through the PCED certification, Rayford demonstrated her understanding of field content, her ability to apply appropriate methods and tools to specific community situations, and her capacity to impact economic and social development.
“I am so proud to be able to work and represent our community as a nationally-certified professional,” said Rayford. “This is a milestone I have been working on completing for a few years, and the path to certification has solidified my choice to work in this profession.”
“This achievement reinforces what we already know about Jamie,” said BACC CEO Crystal Johnson. “She has a desire to stay up to date with industry trends and has a unique talent for developing and facilitating strategy and leading diverse groups.”
Rayford expressed her gratitude to those who helped her achieve this goal, including BACC CEO Crystal Johnson, the BACC Board of Directors, and Entergy Arkansas, for “investing in my professional growth and development and sponsoring my completion of the Community Development Institute.”
“I am so proud to have Jamie leading our chamber team and our community,” said Johnson.
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