Richard H. Cate

Richard Cate became Interim Vice President for Finance and Administration at the university in May 2008, followed by his permanent appointment as Vice President in February 2009. Richard also serves as a lecturer for the university in the Master of Public Administration program, teaching classes on budgeting and finance, human resource management, and government administration.

Mr. Cate has extensive experience in Vermont education and civil service. He served as Vermont’s Commissioner of Education from 2003 to 2008, and prior to that as Chief Financial Officer and then as Executive Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the New York State Education Department, where he managed a budget of more than $19 billion and a staff of over 3,100 employees.

A native Vermonter, Mr. Cate graduated from Montpelier High School before attending the University of Vermont, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. He later earned a Master of Public Administration, a Certificate of Advanced Study in Planning and Policy Analysis (Public Finance concentration) from Rockefeller College at the University of Albany, and a Master of Accountancy from the University of Vermont.