As the Director of School Finance for Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Cathy oversees teams that support general education and categorical funding, levy process and certification, financial management audits and Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards (UFARS), aid payments, budget and forecasting, fiscal notes, data management including students, transportation, and MDE-ORG sites, special education funding and compliance and monitoring, and facilities and Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) funding.

Before joining MDE in July 2022, Cathy gained 23 years of school finance experience serving as Executive Director of Business Services/CFO at Duluth Public Schools, Finance Funding and Management Specialist at Arrowhead Regional Computing Consortium (ARCC), and Business Manager at Lake Superior School District.  In addition, Cathy was an adjunct instructor for St. Mary’s University teaching school finance to educators seeking administrative or superintendent licenses.

Cathy earned her bachelor’s degree in management from the College of St. Scholastica.