The American Society of Association Executives' (ASAE) Certified Association Executive (CAE) program has been granted accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership announced this week.The leading professional certification for association and nonprofit executives, the CAE is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. NCCA accreditation—which provides independent confirmation that the program meets or exceeds 21 quality standards—validates the integrity of the CAE and is a mark of quality, according to ASAE."Earning accreditation is a public demonstration of ASAE and the CAE Commission's commitment to the CAE credential as a true professional certification," ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE, said in a statement. "This achievement is especially meaningful to ASAE & The Center as this year the program celebrates its 50-year anniversary."Founded in 1960, the CAE was earned by just 261 association executives during its first five years. Today, more than 3,800 association executives in all 50 U.S. states and eight countries carry the CAE designation.