Matt Harrington photos courtesy of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber and Maxwell Ward Photography
Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce formally announced a significant leadership milestone at its Annual Membership Meeting on January 30th of this year, naming Matt Harrington as Chief Executive Officer of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber enterprise. The appointment reflects both Harrington’s decade of leadership and the expanded scope, scale, and complexity of the organization’s work across the region.
Harrington has served as Executive Director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce since 2016, guiding its transformation from a traditional town-based chamber into a multi-entity regional enterprise advancing business growth, workforce development, tourism, and long-term economic vitality across Southwestern Vermont. As CEO, Harrington now oversees the Chamber, affiliated organizations including The Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), The Shires Young Professionals (SYP), the Bennington State Welcome Center, and the newly-founded Southwestern Vermont Chamber Foundation, also announced at the Annual Membership Meeting.
Under Harrington’s leadership, the Chamber has experienced significant growth in membership, programming, partnerships, and regional influence. Signature initiatives include the reinvention of Garlic Fest into Garlic Town, USA, the creation of other award-winning community festivals, the Women in Leadership Luncheon, Heart of the Shires Luncheon & B2B Golf Classic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harrington created Chamber Telecasts in partnership with Southwestern Vermont Health Care to keep businesses informed and connected during unprecedented disruption. During that period, the organization not only remained operational but strengthened its reputation as a trusted regional convener and advocate.
Harrington’s leadership philosophy — rooted in collaboration, accountability, and community-building — has been widely recognized. He was honored by Vermont Business Magazine as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star in 2017 and was again recognized in 2025 as one of the publication’s 91 Influencers in Vermont. Additionally, Harrington has been recognized with Bennington County’s Unsung Heroes Award in 2021, multiple Telly Awards for economic-development storytelling, and repeated statewide recognition for Garlic Fest as one of Vermont’s top fall events.
He currently serves as Chair of the Vermont Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (VACCE) and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), one of the highest professional credentials in the chamber and association field. Harrington is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management (IOM) and now serves as national IOM faculty. Harrington previously served as Chair of the Governor’s Travel and Recreation Council and continues to serve on the Council as a board member.
“There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber, and that momentum is the direct result of Matt’s leadership. The Board of Directors is proud to formally name Matt Harrington Chief Executive Officer — a recognition that reflects both the role he has already been fulfilling and the future we are building together,” stated Shannon McLenithan, President of the Chamber’s Board of Directors.
“Matt has earned this recognition through exceptional talent, unwavering dedication, and a record of contributions that have helped shape who we are today. His leadership has been instrumental in driving innovation, strengthening our organization, and delivering meaningful impact for our members and business community. What sets Matt apart is not only his strategic vision, but his ability to turn vision into action. He leads with clarity, integrity, and a deep understanding that sustainable success is built on trust, collaboration, and people. Time and again, Matt has demonstrated the courage to make bold decisions and the humility to listen, learn, and bring others along.”
Harrington’s roots in Southwestern Vermont run deep. He is the son of the late Bob Harrington, longtime radio newscaster at WBTN, and the late Deborah Mackin, a respected local consultant, author, and leadership expert. Harrington attended the State University of Oneonta, where he graduated with a degree in marketing and business, before spending time at Media Logic, a nationally recognized Top 100 marketing firm in Albany.
He later returned to North Bennington to help lead his family’s leadership development and consulting business, New Directions, where he and Mackin co-authored Survival of the Hive: Seven Leadership Lessons from a Beehive. Harrington continues to consult, coach executives, and facilitate strategic planning initiatives alongside his chamber leadership work.
“Serving this Chamber and this region for the past decade has been one of the greatest privileges of my life,” said Matt Harrington. “Even in the hardest seasons — through economic uncertainty, a global pandemic, stretched resources, and difficult decisions — I’ve never lost sight of how fortunate I am to do work I once dreamed about, alongside people who care deeply about this community. To now step into the role of CEO is both humbling and energizing. It’s a responsibility I carry with gratitude, and a commitment to continue building — together — a Southwestern Vermont where businesses thrive, families choose to live, and the next generation sees real opportunity.”
As CEO, Harrington will continue advancing a regional vision focused on business competitiveness, workforce attraction and retention, inclusive tourism, leadership development, and catalytic economic projects designed to strengthen Southwestern Vermont for the next generation.
Harrington lives in Bennington with his wife, Kelly Clarke Harrington, a local architect, and their daughter, Lincoln.
2.19.2026. Bennington, VT — The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce
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