Chamber Welcomes Cruz and Keating to Professional Staff

The Chamber is pleased to announce the addition of Maribel Cruz as Community Business Advisor and Scherrie Keating as Membership Specialist.  

Ms. Cruz will be responsible for supporting the Chamber’s economic development and small business efforts. Her role will include engaging and supporting the Latinx business community in North Central Massachusetts. She is bilingual in Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and English. She joins the Chamber from the City of Gardner, where she served as Economic Development Coordinator since 2017. Prior to working for the city, Ms. Cruz worked in banking for nearly twenty years, rising through the ranks from Teller to Small Business Relationship Manager at Bank of America and Santander. She is a resident of Leominster and is active in the community, including serving on the Boards of Community Health Connections, the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission, Square II in Gardner, and the MassHire North Central Workforce Board. She is also a graduate of the Chamber’s Community Leadership Institute and has served on our Loan Committee.

Ms. Keating will support the Chamber’s member recruitment and retention efforts on a part-time basis. She comes to the Chamber with a unique background, experience and skill set. She is an owner of a small business founded in 2016 called Diabetes Kare Consulting, which focuses on providing education and training in the healthcare industry. She has been a very active member and a passionate champion of the Chamber. She has often credited the Chamber with helping her grow her small business. She serves on our Ambassadors Committee, has Chaired our Connect North Central program this past year and is currently enrolled in our Community Leadership Institute. She is a registered nurse by training, graduating from Fitchburg State University and holds numerous professional health care certifications. She is also a Cancer survivor and health care advocate. She lives in Ashby and is active in the community.

“We are thrilled to have these two talented professionals join our team. Scherrie’s experience as a business owner and Chamber member, as well as her passion, energy, communication skills and her inspiring personal story make her a unique fit to help support our efforts to engage business leaders,” said Roy Nascimento, President & CEO of the Chamber, and “Maribel’s experience in economic development and banking, along with her communication skills and strong roots in the community make her the perfect fit for this new role in helping to support small businesses throughout North Central Massachusetts.”