Tillamook President and CEO Announces Plans to Step Down

TILLAMOOK, Ore. — Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) President and CEO Patrick Criteser announced he will step down later this year. The TCCA board of directors has selected David Booth, TCCA's current executive vice president of brand growth and commercialization, to succeed Criteser as president and CEO, with Criteser's endorsement, and in alignment with the organization's long-standing succession plan.

Criteser has led the farmer-owned cooperative since 2012.

"Our vision of becoming a premium, multi-category, national dairy brand has been realized, and the cooperative is optimally positioned to thrive well into the future," said Criteser. "I have accomplished what I hoped to achieve for the farmer-owners of this amazing cooperative, so I've decided that the time is right for this transition. Serving in this role has been the greatest honor of my professional career, and I am absolutely certain that our board has chosen the right person to succeed me in David."

TCCA Chair of the Board Shannon Lourenzo said, "We are so grateful for Patrick's incredible leadership these past 12 years. Today, we are a $1.3 billion business, and one in four American households buy Tillamook cheese, ice cream and other dairy products. But we're just getting started. David is a very talented leader and is someone who is well-equipped to continue the cooperative's growth, which will further strengthen our farmer-owners, create more jobs and advancement opportunities for our employees and enable us to continue to positively impact the communities where we live and work."  

Lourenzo said Criteser will remain CEO until later this year, while Booth immediately assumes the role of president. Working closely with the TCCA board and executive leadership team, they will implement a transition plan to ensure business continuity and success. Upon Criteser's departure, Booth will move into the role of president and CEO. 

Booth joined TCCA in 2015 and has built sales, marketing and category growth teams, forged partnerships with retailers nationwide and crafted Tillamook's growth strategy. He has wide experience across the company, including having served as interim CFO on two occasions. He has nearly 30 years of executive experience, including 18 years at ConAgra Foods. 

"This is an incredible opportunity to work with our farmer-owners who have built this company with a long-term outlook and a commitment to growing the right way," said Booth. "We have extremely talented and committed employees in every function and location. Our strong culture and organizational momentum are here to stay, and they will enable us to reach even greater heights in the future."