Allie Catlin, co-owner of Smith’s Country Cheese in Winchendon, was elected chair of the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce board of directors for 2026-2027.
Catlin replaces Tony Fields, president and owner of Cleartech Group, who will now serve as immediate past chair of the board.
The leadership change was announced at the chamber’s annual meeting on June 11.
Smith’s Country Cheese is a family-owned dairy farm, creamery, and retail outfit. Catlin and her family purchased the farm in 2016. She was named to WBJ’s Power 100 list in 2024.
“The chamber has been such an important partner to our farm and to so many small businesses across this region,” Catlin said in a statement. “I’m honored to take on this role.”
Catlin and her family spent a year learning how to run the farm from previous owners before the sale was finalized. Now, alongside her husband, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, Catlin helps lead a company employing 14 people and producing approximately 180,000 pounds of raw-milk Gouda, Havarti, and cheddar cheese annually, with national distribution.
“As a farmer and small business owner, Allie brings a perspective to the board that’s vital to understanding the full picture of our regional economy,” said Roy Nascimento, president and CEO of the chamber, in a statement.
Catlin holds degrees from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire and Suffolk University in Boston. She has served on the chamber’s board of directors for several years.
The other board members elected to the chamber’s executive committee are:
- Melissa Glenny – founder and CEO of employment agency Franklin Professional Associates in Leominster, who will serve as vice chair
- Chris Hendry – president and CEO of IC Federal Credit Union in Fitchburg, who will serve as treasurer
- Mark Hettinger – president and CEO of GFA Federal Credit Union in Gardner
- Patrick McCarty – president of construction contractor McCarty Cos. in Leominster
Monica Benevides is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal.
