Cathy Hill

Cathy Hill is the Comptroller for Washoe County, Nevada, where she oversees a broad portfolio of government financial operations including accounting, risk management, and grant budgets. With more than two decades of leadership experience across corporate finance, accounting, and human resources, she brings a depth of real-world financial expertise that is rare in the academic content space.

In her role as Comptroller, Cathy is responsible for the financial integrity of one of Nevada’s largest county governments — a position that demands precision, regulatory fluency, and the ability to manage complex, multi-layered financial systems at scale. Her work encompasses everything from day-to-day accounting operations to long-term financial planning and compliance oversight, giving her an exceptionally practical understanding of how public sector finance functions at the institutional level.

Beyond her county role, Cathy serves on the Nevada Supreme Court’s minimum accounting standards committee — an appointment that reflects both her professional standing and her commitment to shaping the standards that govern financial practice across the state. Her involvement at this level speaks to the trust her peers and institutions place in her judgment and expertise.

Her background spans both the public and private sectors, having built her career across corporate finance and human resources before moving into government financial leadership. This cross-sector experience gives her a nuanced perspective on the similarities and differences between private and public financial management — and a clear sense of what graduate programs in these fields need to teach to prepare students for both environments.

Cathy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno, giving her direct familiarity with the academic pathways that lead into finance and business careers — and a strong foundation for evaluating how well graduate programs align with the demands of professional practice.