PCMA employee earns highest credential in association industry

The chief operations officer of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from ASAE. This title is the highest professional credential in the association industry.

Sherrif Karamat is one of 55 association executives who earned the CAE this summer. He joins 3,900 industry leaders worldwide with the CAE distinction, representing just 5 percent of all association professionals.

“We’re extremely proud of Sherrif as he joins this prestigious group of association leaders throughout the world,” said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO. “This distinction is recognition in a way of all of Sherrif’s outstanding work not only in helping make PCMA such a successful organization but also in serving PCMA’s members in the association community and aiding the meetings industry as a whole.”

At PCMA, Karamat oversees the major revenue streams including membership, chapter development and growth, strategic partnerships, and Convene magazine. A 22-year veteran of the meetings and convention industry, he previously was vice president of business sales and services for the Toronto Convention and Visitors Association and has also held several senior sales and marketing positions in the hotel industry.

Karamat is active in the meetings industry, and has served on the Meetings and Convention Industry roundtable, TravelCom Board of Advisors, Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Business Partner Advisory Council and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) steering committee.

He is a frequent lecturer at various colleges and universities in North America and for IEG at their Advance Level Sponsorship Sales Program.

The CAE program elevates professional standards in the association community, enhances individual performance, and designates those who have demonstrated knowledge essential to the practice of association management.

To earn the CAE credential, applicants must have a minimum of three years experience in nonprofit management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management, and pledge to uphold a code of ethics.