Tillamook County Creamery Association President and CEO Patrick Criteser, who helped transform a regional brand into a $1.3 billion business, announced March 2 that he will step down later this year.

Criteser had led the farmer-owned cooperative, headquartered in Tillamook, Ore., since 2012, and it’s now the fastest-growing cheese brand in the U.S.

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“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,” Criteser said in a news release.

“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,” he added.

New leadership

The TCCA Board of Directors has selected David Booth, Tillamook cheese’s executive vice president of brand growth and commercialization, to succeed Criteser, according to a news release.

Booth will immediately assume the position of president, and upon Criteser’s departure, will become CEO.

“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,” said Shannon Lourenzo, TCCA board chairman.

Booth joined TCCA in 2015 and built top-performing sales, marketing and category growth teams, forged crucial partnerships with retailers nationwide, and crafted Tillamook’s impressive growth strategy.

He has wide experience across the company and has served as interim CFO on two occasions. Booth also has nearly 30 years of executive experience, including 18 at ConAgra Foods.

“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,” Booth said.

Tillamook dairy background

The TCCA was founded in 1909. It operates production facilities in Tillamook and Boardman, Ore., and employs more than 1,110 workers.

The Tillamook Creamery is the largest tourist attraction on the Oregon Coast and one of the most popular in the state, attracting more than 1 million visitors each year.

Tillamook products include cheese, ice cream, butter, cream cheese spreads, yogurt, sour cream and frozen meals.

The cooperative won four awards at the World Championship Cheese Contest, including “best of class” for its sharp cheddar. The competition was held in March in Madison, Wis.

In late March, Tillamook launched a new lineup of whole milk mozzarella cheese. That followed earlier product releases in 2024, including brick cream cheese and a chocolate ice cream collection.