Tyler Harris (Co-Owner, General Manager) grew up in Southwest Virginia and spent his childhood exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains. Tyler loves to play disc golf, hike, camp, long distance backpack, kayak, and farm.  Tyler thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2008. Approximately 4,000 people attempt to thru-hike the AT every year, but only one in four actually make it. Many of the brands Chatham Outfitters carries today were inspired by his extended time in the woods. 

Tyler and his wife Jennie moved to Pittsboro in 2015 to be closer to their family after living in Ohio and Tennessee for several years. Tyler’s background is in water management and before Chatham Outfitters he was a research specialist with the NC State Aquatic Plant Management Program. He spent the majority of his days on a boat studying aquatic invasive plant species in lakes and rivers across the state. Tyler joined New Horizons West as co-owner and general manager in 2023. He’s a wealth of knowledge on the lakes and rivers across the state and gear preparation for multi-day hiking excursions. 

Catherine McLeod (Co-Owner) grew up in Fayetteville, NC and graduated from Terry Sanford Senior High School. She attended NC State, Oregon State and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill. Twice. She worked in restaurants in Chapel Hill, taught ESL at CCCC and handled the administration at The Center for Peace Education, a non-profit that focused on conflict resolution. Ultimately she earned her Masters of Public Health and worked on international health projects as well as at the Cleveland County Health Department in Western NC. 

Catherine has been a business leader in Chatham County since 1996.  She has been instrumental in creating the vibrant downtown that Pittsboro has to offer by starting a wholesale business, creating the Pittsboro staple New Horizons Downtown, and helping form the Pittsboro Merchants Association (now the PBA). The need for men’s apparel inspired her to launch New Horizons West in 2016. Catherine and her wife Sara live in Pittsboro. They love to travel across the world and spend time with their three grandchildren.

Liz Mihalik - E-commerce Manager - Liz joined New Horizons Downtown as Store Manager in 2018, and transitioned into Inventory Manager as both New Horizons Downtown and New Horizons West were quickly growing. Then Covid hit, and everything in-person ground to a halt. She was tasked with creating an e-commerce presence for both New Horizons Downtown and New Horizons West (now Chatham Outfitters!). In her spare time, Liz loves to cook, garden, and watch very bad television with her husband and cats. If you happen to catch her working the occasional floor shift, you can count on her to problem solve and find the perfect gift or pair of shoes for you!

Jody Cedzidlo - Finance Manager - Jody has been running Flytrap Studios, a silkscreen studio here in Pittsboro, since 2008. She brings entrepreneurial and financial wizardry to the Chatham Outfitters administrative office. When she isn’t crunching numbers, you’ll find her paddling the Haw, swimming in the ocean, or tending to her perennial garden beds.