ACE is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization managed by a board of directors. An executive director and administrative assistant direct the day-to-day operations of the organization. The board consists of representatives from each partner organization. An advisory committee works with the board and the staff to assess the program and recommend changes and improvements.

OVERVIEW OF THE ACE PROGRAM

Alabama has many agencies and organizations that provide assistance to cities and towns in the areas of community and economic development, including utility companies, universities, state agencies and professional associations. Several people working for these entities, as they continued to cross paths with one another in communities throughout Alabama, began to wonder whether it might not make sense to find a way to combine resources and work together. They reasoned that much more could be accomplished by working in concert than by working independently. After three years of discussion and planning, the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) was created as a non-profit corporation, organized for the purpose of utilizing the collective expertise of its partner organizations to assist Alabama's smaller communities as they attempt to become "Alabama Communities of Excellence."

ACE partners include both public and private organizations. The ACE Board of Directors includes representatives from Alabama Association of Regional Councils, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Development Office, Alabama Gas Corporation, Alabama Historical Commission, Alabama Municipal Electric Association, Alabama Power Company, Alabama Southern Rural Access Program, Auburn University's Economic Development Institute, Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, Reading Alabama, Tennessee Valley Authority, University of Alabama's University Center for Economic Development, United States Department of Agriculture -- Rural Development and Regions Financial Corporation. Other partners include Auburn University's Truman Pierce Institute and the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

Collectively, these organizations represent a unique and powerful partnership that has the expertise, public and private resources and commitment to help address many community development needs in the selected ACE communities. Specifically, the ACE program focuses on assisting Alabama communities with populations between 2,000 and 12,000 in the areas of leadership development, strategic planning, comprehensive planning, commercial business development, education enhancement, infrastructure requirements, health and human services, tourism, economic development and quality of life/recreation issues.

During the spring of 2003, ACE board members selected eight Alabama communities as the initial ACE program participants: Brewton, Demopolis, Guin, Guntersville, Haleyville, Monroeville, Wetumpka and Valley. During the ACE process, each community will receive extensive technical assistance from ACE team members. The ACE program will provide support to help community leaders determine a strategy and plan of action to maximize opportunities for community development and job growth.