John Urbahns Elected to Serve On Board of Directors for ACCE

John Urbahns, President and CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc., has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), an Alexandria, Va.-based association of over 9,000 professionals who work for and with more than 1,300 chambers of commerce.

Members of ACCE’s board of directors represent more than 50 organizations, including many of the world’s largest and most influential regional chambers of commerce.

“We are pleased to welcome John Urbahns to the ACCE Board of Directors,” said Sheree Anne Kelly, ACCE president & CEO. John brings a wealth of leadership experience and commitment to strengthening chambers and the communities they serve. At a time when chambers are driving innovation, fostering economic opportunity and building resilient communities, the insight and perspective of dedicated volunteer leaders are invaluable. We look forward to the impact he will make in helping advance ACCE’s mission.”

John Urbahns has served as President and CEO of Greater Fort Wayne Inc., the chamber of commerce and economic development organization for Fort Wayne and Allen County, Indiana, since 2018. He leads the organization’s work to drive growth, support investment, and help shape a strong future for the community.

Over the course of his career, John has played a key role in transformational community investments and has helped lead downtown and neighborhood planning efforts across Allen County. He is passionate about bringing people together and has spent years working alongside residents, neighborhood groups, elected officials, and business leaders to advance a shared vision for Allen County.

John is a graduate of Ball State University, where he earned degrees in urban planning and environmental design, and he is an AICP-certified urban planner. In 2020, he received Ball State’s Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Architecture and Planning. Additionally, John was recognized with Indiana’s highest civilian honor – the Sagamore of the Wabash – in 2024 and has been named as one of Indiana’s Top-250 Most Influential Leaders by the Indiana Business Journal in 2025 and 2026.

The mission of ACCE is to support and develop chamber professionals to lead businesses and their communities. ACCE identifies and analyzes trends affecting communities, shares best practices, and develops benchmarking studies, in addition to providing other tools to help chamber leaders manage and improve operations at their organization and achieve the highest impact in their communities.