Written by Charles Noyes
Photos by Kelly Z Photography

Sponsored by Valley Home Improvement

Published in Northampton Living (August 2022)

Charlotte Cathro was raised in Florence and presently lives in the house she grew up in. But between growing up here and present day, a lot has happened. She has started her own business as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), volunteered as a Board Member at president of the board of Dakin Humane Society and at the Massachusetts Society of CPAs, she has raised a family with her husband Patrick, who is a realtor with Rovi Homes, and so much more.

She also spent 15 years living in Boston where her student dream of becoming a math teacher met a harsh reality. Charlotte was a math and education major at Brandeis but embarking on her first teaching experiences changed her vision. “You have to have thick skin as a teacher,” Charlotte recalled, “and I absolutely didn’t have that at the time.” She was a math and education major at Brandeis before embarking on her first teaching experiences. After feeling a bit lost with her intended career not panning out as she thought, she turned to a friendly mentor who had some key words of advice. “A friend told me to try accounting as there is a lot of demand for it and it involves problem solving and math skills, so that’s exactly what I did.”

After almost 10 years in Boston, Charlotte and Patrick had their first child, Oliver, and the family decided to move back to the Valley while Charlotte became a CPA. In the area, the family loves hiking and the outdoors. Oliver and their other son, Graham, love swimming and playing Minecraft. Everyone in the family is an animal-lover, which is closely tied in with Charlotte’s involvement with Dakin Humane Society.

“For years I was the president of the Dakin Board,” she began. “But since then, I’ve transitioned to sort of an officer role on the Board. Dakin does a lot more than people know. The perception is that they’re just a shelter, but so much of their work is providing services to allow people to keep and take care of their animals with spay/neuter services, advocacy, pet food access, services to allow people to take care of their animals, and more. Vets were overwhelmed during the pandemic so they’re expanding to offer basic vet services to relieve the system and provide affordable solutions.”

While Charlotte’s community involvement has always been consistent, her professional life has taken twists and turns that she could have never predicted. After moving back to the Valley and practicing CPA work in Holyoke for five years, she eventually left the local firm to begin teaching accounting at Elms College in Chicopee. This rewarding work united her interest in education and accounting. At the same time, she also started her own accounting firm on the side in order to continue serving her growing niche in the burgeoning cannabis industry in New England and Western Massachusetts.

“As that business grew,” Charlotte began. “I started taking on more and more clients and eventually I decided to open focus solely on my own practice so I could best serve their needs. Unfortunately, I had to leave the college at the end of 2020. It’s a great industry to be in because you can provide a lot of value as there are still a lot of unknowns and hurdles to jump over. It’s rare to have a brand-new industry in the tax field so it’s been a fun challenge solving problems and establishing relationships with the people I serve.”

“A mentor told me two great lessons to be successful,” Charlotte recounted. “He said the first thing is to read everything and always be learning. The second thing he said is that the game in accounting is to find your niche. Find something specific and go all-in.” Did she ever find her niche. Now, Charlotte’s private practice is almost more than 90% made up of clients related to the cannabis industry.

This success has lead to the business becoming her primary pursuit solely due to the amount of work that is required of her. “For many CPAs,” Charlotte said, “their role is misunderstood or underestimated. Accountants are not the same as CFOs or bookkeepers, and there are a range of services. You want an accountant to be part of a team of financial advisors and lawyers that you all have communicating and working together to formulate the best business strategy for whatever field you’re in.” And if there was one piece of advice she wishes everyone would take to heart, it would be “check in more than just once during tax season.”

At the end of the day, Charlotte’s roots continue to grow through many corners of the Valley. Her house was passed to her by her parents who’ve helped her raise her family. They now live on an adjacent house within their property, all three generations living side by side. Whether it’s through her work, her teaching, her advocacy for animals, or her family, Charlotte and the rest of the Cathros help shape this community we all call home.