08/27/2025

History Made at APS

Its entire female membership team earned the CAE

Four women from STEM backgrounds pursued certification at the American Physical Society — ultimately leading to the organization’s first Gold Circle Award for Member/Volunteer Engagement.

From STEM to Strategy: Our CAE Journey

At the American Physical Society (APS), our membership leadership team includes a former microbiologist, physicist, educator and engineer. That might not sound like the start of a typical story in association management, but these experiences blend together to create unique transformation and innovation.

We pursued the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential not just to grow as individuals, but to become a stronger, more strategic team. According to ASAE, “The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry. Less than five percent of all association professionals have achieved this mark of excellence.” This ultimately helped us earn APS’ first-ever ASAE Gold Circle Award for Member/Volunteer Engagement, a milestone made possible by applying CAE principles directly into practice.

Please select this link to read the complete article from ASAE’s Center for Association Leadership.