Sanford-Springvale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Cari Quater
Photo: Kat Szmit
New Chamber Director Sees Bright Future
By Kat Szmit
Cari Quater has only been executive director of the Sanford-Springvale Chamber of Commerce for a little more than a month, but she already has her sights set on a promising future.
Quater, of South Berwick, came to Sanford by way of the Seacoast Village Project in Portsmouth, NH, a nonprofit that helps seniors age in place. As operations manager, she was in charge of membership and programming, both social and educational. Before that, she was executive director of the Old Berwick Historical Society in South Berwick.
“That’s where I learned how to do all the things like grant writing, budgeting, and strategic plans,” she said.
Quater, who replaced longtime director Rick Stanley, said that what appealed to her about the job opportunity with the chamber was the possibility of utilizing all the skills she learned at her previous posts.
“I’d been wanting to challenge myself again and wanted full-time hours,” she said. “It seemed like it was just the right mix, that it kind of fit all of the pieces together. I thought it might be an interesting job to look into, and the board was very enthusiastic and has been very supportive.”
So far, Quater has been most excited about partnering with local businesses and talking with owners about how to help their businesses grow.
“I’ve already had a few businesses reach out and say, ‘I need foot traffic. How can I get foot traffic?’ I’ve put a couple of businesses side by side to support each other for our Business After Hours as a host and a caterer,” she said.
Quater said that she especially enjoys helping local businesses where they need it most.
“That really excites me,” she said. “Last week was a really exciting week because I got to make a few of those connections. It made me feel like that’s what we’re here to do.”
She added that she appreciates the beauty of the Sanford-Springvale area.
“We’re a travel soccer family, so we’ve been coming to the Columbus Day tournament for many years, driving in the back way and through downtown,” she said, adding that sometimes after away games her family would stop in Sanford for a bite to eat. “So, we’ve been around Sanford for a while.”
Something Quater appreciates most about the area is that while it’s a city, Sanford-Springvale still maintains a cozy atmosphere.
“It’s one of those communities that’s much bigger than where I’m from in South Berwick, which is a good challenge for me,” Quater said. “I have that background in that small town feel, which I think Sanford can hold on to. They still have that small town feel, but they’re a city. I think it’s the combination of trails, the outdoors. It’s a family community where the schools are thriving, and there’s room for businesses to come in, to grow.”
Quater emphasized Sanford’s geographical location as a plus, too.
“This is sort of the biggest town when you’re going northwest. After this you get the mountains and the lakes, and it really gets rural,” she said. “I feel like Sanford is in a great position to be able to service those folks while also being able to be somewhere a lot of people who work for the shipyard come to live. I really feel like, between Sanford and Springvale, you have everything you would need.”
For Quater, her new job is also about finding a balance between technology and interpersonal communication.
“I’m on that line between GenX and Millennial, so I have the technology skills that you can’t not use these days. I’m learning about AI a little bit because it’s one of those things that if you ignore it, it’s not going away,” she said. “My goal is to learn how to use these technology tools while still being able to interface with people on a person-to-person basis.”
Quater is also thinking about Maine’s weather and considering shifting from Business After Hours to daytime events.
“When it’s 4:00 and pitch black out, who wants to come to a Business After Hours? Maybe we do something at 8:30 am while we’re all energized and the sun’s up,” she said.
She’d also like to bring in or create educational programs on how business owners can continue their professional development and is already looking at conferences for chamber executives.
Away from work, Quater enjoys playing basketball on weekends, antiquing with her husband, Michael, who works at the shipyard, gardening, reading, or spending time with one of her children. Her oldest son is a sophomore at UMaine Orono, and her youngest son is a sophomore at Marshwood High School.
“This job was one of those things where we were thinking about that transition into empty nesting, so it’s not all at once and so shocking,” Quater said. “My husband comes up here to play pool sometimes. This is one of those communities where we’re going to meet some really cool people.”
Quater is looking forward to learning more about the Sanford-Springvale region.
“When I come to a community, I get very entrenched in it,” she said. “I feel like that’s going to happen in Sanford-Springvale, as well. That I’m going to grow attached to it. I’m kind of excited for that. I’m in it for the long term.”
That long term begins with 2026, which she has high hopes for.
“I think it’s going to be a good year. I think there will be some familiar things happening, but also some new things,” Quater said. “We’re going to see what’s going to stick. What people are drawn to. I’ve gotten some great feedback so far, feeling like people are hearing and seeing the chamber. I want to keep pushing that. I would find it a success if more businesses came to town and we as a chamber kept them here and helped them grow. I think that’s the ultimate goal for the chamber. I think 2026 will be really exciting.”
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