Richard Cate, vice president for finance and administration, will retire from his position in June after 17 years at UVM, according to a Jan. 10 letter from Interim President Patricia Prelock.
Cate’s decision to retire comes as he faces increasing commitments to help elderly loved ones, he said. He feels bittersweet to be leaving UVM after spending so much time here, he said.
“I started out [at UVM] in 1967 as an undergraduate, so I have a very firm commitment to it,” he said. “But at the same time, I can love UVM just as much from six miles away.”
Cate has already begun a part-time remote position as Special Advisor to the President at the University of Arizona. He will use his financial and administrative skills developed through his career to assist the work of Suresh Garimella, current U of A president and former UVM president, and his administrative team.
The new role was not the reason for Cate’s departure, as the vice president made the decision to retire before he had any knowledge of any opportunity at the U of A, he said.
Despite UVM’s current $10 million budget deficit, Cate said he’s not concerned about leaving
“In my mind, there really isn’t a deficit, per se, because we’ve figured out how to deal with it,” he said. “We’ve had money that we’ve saved up for rainy days, and now it’s raining a little bit, so we’re using it. As long as my successor and the team follow the plan, we’ll be perfectly fine.”
Cate feels ready to step back from the level of responsibility involved in his current position, which includes having a fixed schedule and working 65-hour weeks, he said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “For the first time in my life … I won’t be responsible for the work of others. I only have to keep track of myself.”
His previous experience working with Garimella at UVM was part of what influenced his decision to pursue this role at Arizona, Cate said.
“I enjoyed working with him,” he said. “Also, the fact that it’s a much larger institution, [and] it’s a very different institution … seemed intriguing.”
In his new role, Cate will draw on his skills to give recommendations and guidance to the U of A’s leadership team, who will consider his advice and make the final decisions, he said.
“He will help address the university’s needs in processes, transparency, budget modeling, and integration and visibility between central and college/unit-level budgets,” University of Arizona spokesperson Mitch Zak stated in a Jan. 14 email.
Cate’s work will largely be remote with some travel to Arizona every couple of months, he said.
“President Garimella has made it a priority to assemble a strong and experienced leadership team,” Zak stated. “The university is excited to welcome Mr. Cate and looks forward to his contributions in advancing our commitment to student success, research excellence, and community service as Arizona’s flagship land-grant institution.”
The University will conduct a national search to fill Cate’s role, Prelock’s letter stated.
“His institutional knowledge has been invaluable to each president he has served and his mentorship of leaders in finance and administration has been significant,” her letter stated. “We are confident that Richard’s hard work and expertise have set UVM’s division of finance and administration up for a smooth and stable leadership transition.”
Cate feels proud of the work he has done at UVM but is also appreciative of the team he worked with, he said.
“It’s not about me—it’s about working with some great people and making a difference,” he said. “I think I can leave knowing that I did the best I could and that someone else will come in and do as well or better.”
