“Greg brings a powerful mix of business and industry perspective combined with leadership skills to his position as president of the American Cheese Society, and the organization is delighted to welcome him to this new role,” said Nora Weiser, executive director of the American Cheese Society. “ACS is committed to raising awareness of the quality and craftsmanship of American cheeses, and bringing further attention to cheesemakers who are focused on traditional, sustainable production methods. Greg and his entire team at Pastoral share this commitment, and we look forward to working together to grow ACS and offer continued support to the cheesemaking industry in North America.”

O’Neill has already served on the ACS Board of Directors for the past four years, the last two years as vice president, and succeeds Christine Hyatt as ACS president. In his new role as president, O’Neill will be responsible for leading the ACS Board of Directors and its professional staff based in Denver, Colorado.

“I’m honored to serve as the newly elected president of the American Cheese Society, and to have the chance to work together with this talented team of industry leaders who has united to sustain and grow the artisanal cheese industry in North America,” said Greg O’Neill, co-founder of Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine. “Since opening Pastoral in 2004, we’ve seen an ever-growing appreciation and demand for high quality American cheeses. The support and network of the American Cheese Society is invaluable to our business as cheese purveyors–along with cheesemakers, educators and enthusiasts alike–and it’s an exciting time to help further advance the organization’s impact on cheesemaking in this country.”

In addition to his role as ACS president and co-founder of Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, O’Neill serves on the Editorial Advisory Council for Culture magazine and was recently inducted into La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, an honorary cheese industry organization originating in France which includes more than 5,500 seasoned cheese professionals. O’Neill is an elected member of the National Retailer Task Force for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) and is also an active member of the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce along with a number of other community and trade organizations. O’Neill holds undergraduate degrees from Rutgers University and an MBA from Duke University.