Damon Cartelli: 39

President, Owner, and General Manager, Fathers & Sons Inc.

When he’s not managing auto dealerships, Damon Cartelli likes to take his family out fishing on his boat.

“It’s great to get out there … it’s relaxing, a great way to relieve some stress,” said Cartelli, who acknowledged that there have been quite a few stress-inducers recently for all those in auto sales, including the team at Fathers & Sons, the business his father, Bob, started and that he acquired in September 2008.

“That was just as the economy was collapsing; everyone blamed me for the meltdown,” joked Cartelli, adding that the Great Recession has been a long, ongoing headache for car dealers, but just one of many. For Fathers & Sons, the demise and recent rebirth of Saab, one of several luxury brands the dealership handles, has been a significant issue. Meanwhile, Cash for Clunkers, while it stimulated some sales, also induced considerable red tape and heartburn.

But Cartelli says the family business has steered its way through much of the trouble, and has high expectations for 2010, especially as Saab makes its returns (the first models should be in the showroom in a few weeks) and Audi continues to grow market share. Meanwhile, Cartelli continues the maturation process that is part and parcel to taking on the titles ‘owner’ and ‘president.’

Beyond his time spent on the water fishing, Cartelli also enjoys skiing, another family affair: his son, Jack, is 3 and just getting started, while his daughter, Brynn, 6, is already keeping up with her parents on black-diamond runs at resorts like Stowe.

And, yes, as one might expect, as owner of a dealership that sells high-performance luxury cars, he does get to try out some nice rides for months at a time. Recently, that includes an Audi A-8 and a Porche Cayan, an SUV.

For the next several months, though, his vehicle of choice will be a Ford F-350 pickup, which he needs to tow his boat.

“I don’t have to feel guilty about that, though,” he laughed. “The family owns a Ford store in Greenfield.”—George O’Brien

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Meghan Lynch: 29

Managing Partner, Six-Point Creative Works

Meghan Lynch studied literature in college, but didn’t want to make it her job. Instead, her creative side blossomed in an unexpected career path: advertising. It started with a stint as a receptionist at a Northampton ad agency.

“I became office manager and worked my way up into the production department,” she said, where she did some scriptwriting and other creative tasks. “What started out as a way to get me through grad school wound up being something I loved, and exposed me to things I wouldn’t have been exposed to otherwise.”

Lynch later worked with David Wicks and Marsha Montori for the Momentum Group, and the three eventually formed their own business, Six-Point Creative Works. “I was willing to work with them,” Lynch said, “but instead they gave me the opportunity to own the company with them, which was unexpected for someone as young as I am.”

Her partners say Lynch is “29 going on 50” when it comes to her creativity and professionalism. Indeed, her plate is full; among her numerous roles, she is the primary source of the firm’s new-business development, a force behind its pro-bono and trade-of-service commitments to area nonprofits, its Web-marketing strategist, and even project manager for the company’s new facility. Lynch relishes those varied responsibilities.

“You don’t get many opportunities to be part of a group that’s so collaborative, where everyone is willing to listen to anyone’s idea, regardless of their experience,” she said of the firm, which draws inspiration and levity from its canine mascot, Smilin’ Tom. “I have a chance to grow in a lot of different ways. And I’ve learned so much about the variety of businesses the agency works with.”

She fills in her time with volunteer work for the Springfield Public Forum, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society, and other groups. “It’s nice to work with organizations that get you excited, that let you see their potential.”

And fulfilling potential is something Lynch knows a lot about.

—Joseph Bednar

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