Marlborough chamber selects board chair to replace retiring president

Photo | Courtesy of Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce Steve Messineo will take over as president and CEO of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce at the end of March.

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By Timothy Doyle

The board chair of the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce, Steve Messineo, will take on the role of president and CEO, after outgoing President and CEO Robert Schlacter retires at the end of March.

Messineo was selected from a large pool of applicants by a hiring committee, Schlacter told WBJ on Thursday.

Messineo last served as business development officer at Marlborough IT firm Citara Systems, a role from which he stepped down to take the chamber position. He has been chairman of the board at the chamber since January 2019, according to a chamber press release from that time.

The story of Messineo’s selection as president was first reported by Community Advocate.

Schlacter has been at the helm of the chamber for four years, beginning prior to the COVID-10 pandemic. The chamber saw its membership approximately double to 400 during those four years.

During that time, the chamber shifted to an advocacy role for local businesses and provided a conduit of information for local, state, and the federal government.

“I was witness to unbelievable acts of selflessness by chamber members,” said Schlacter, who added the crisis cemented the role of the chamber in the business community.

“It’s been a phenomenal four years,” Schlacter said. “The chamber made really great strides in growing and expanding the chamber. I’m happy to turn the position over to Steve to continue on this growth path.”

In addition to Marlborough, the chamber serves Hudson, Sudbury, Berlin, Northborough, and Southborough.