TORRINGTON – With March being National Women’s Month, The Torrington Telegram will continue highlighting prominent women in Goshen County.
This week’s feature is on Marcy Cates, Business Manager for Goshen County School District No. 1. Cates has worked for the district since 2008.
Cates was born in Laramie, Wyoming and moved to Torrington with her family just before she started kindergarten. She attended Torrington schools all the way through her graduation from high school.
After graduating from high school, Cates attended the University of Wyoming where she earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance.
Once Cates finished college she moved to Denver for a job opportunity before moving to Buffalo Wyo. where she met her husband Lance.
When it was time to find a place to settle down, Cates and Lance wanted to be somewhere close to one set of grandparents. Her family was in the Torrington area and Lance’s family was in Minneapolis.
“It was important for Lance and I to have our kids raised near one set of grandparents,” Cates said. “The job market is what brought us back here.”
When Cates first returned to Torrington, she spent six years as the manager at Bank of the West before becoming the Business Manager for the school district.
While Business Manager is her main job, she is also responsible for the Department of Transportation, Food Service and Facilities Maintenance.
One of the more challenging aspects of the job has been dealing with the aspects of rising costs of employee benefits and the present issues with education funding and the five-year recalibration process.
“The financial coffers are struggling with the amount of funds available to the state,” Cates said. “Which is in turn affecting the funds available for education.”
When Cates took over the job in 20008, one of the things that had long been discussed and debated over, was the construction of the new Lingle Elementary School.
Being able to complete that project is one of the things Cates feels most accomplished about during her time with the school district.
“The construction of Lingle Elementary had been on the table off the table as far as school facilities are concerned,” Cates said. “It was very rewarding to see that new school finally get built.”
Another rewarding aspect of the job is the completion of the yearly salary relations process each year. It is where all parties involved work through an interest-based bargaining process which leaves all sides satisfied in the end as far as salary relations and salary benefits.
During her time with the school district, Cates said she has been a part of multiple different building projects besides just the new Lingle Elementary School.
“I came on board and students and staff were just moving into the new Torrington Middle School,” Cates said. “We have also done a major remodel of the Torrington High Woodshop and a full remodel of the old Torrington Middle School for the Goshen County School District Central Administration.”
While her son is already finished with high school and her daughter is a junior at Torrington High School, Cates said she and her husband still plan on staying in Torrington after they graduate and after she eventually retires.
“We really like Torrington and plan on staying here. This is home,” Cates said.
