When Cathleen (Kate) Ehmer, now vice president of tax at LightBox, was an undergraduate student at Colby College in Maine, her course of study was history. Yet, after obtaining her BA, she began to consider where her future would lead her. “After graduating from Colby, I held a few different roles but hadn’t yet found a path that felt like a meaningful long-term career,” she explains.
She notes that her first job in high school was at an independent bookstore, where she eventually took on responsibilities for sales and payroll reconciliations. “Upon reflection, I realized that exposure early to the accounting work was something I truly enjoyed,” she says. “A friend from Colby earned an MS/MBA degree from Northeastern University in Boston, which prompted me to look into the program. As I learned more, it became clear that this was exactly what I was looking for.”
From Public to In-House
Ehmer began her career in public accounting at PwC. There, she built a solid foundation in corporate and partnership taxation and worked with a range of clients across different industries.
“After several years, I transitioned to an in-house tax manager role at the Lane Construction Corporation,” she says. “This allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge of a single client, the company I worked for.”
After spending twelve years at Lane, rising to the position of tax director, Ehmer was ready for a new challenge. “I joined LightBox, a technology-focused organization, for the opportunity to learn a new industry,” she says. “The work has also allowed me to take on a broader set of challenges in a more dynamic environment. . . . I oversee the company’s overall tax function and strategy.”
She explains that LightBox is a relatively new company, formed in 2018, to address technology and data solutions for the commercial real estate sector. “I’ve genuinely appreciated defining and building a tax infrastructure from the ground up,” she says. “The opportunity to shape processes, implement structure, and support a growing business has been especially rewarding. I also value the collaborative environment at LightBox and the ability to work closely with various parts of the organization.”
Stepping Into TEI
Ehmer notes that continuous learning has always been important to her. “When I moved from public accounting into industry, I was concerned about whether I would find the same level of education opportunities as that offered to me by PwC. As it turned out, my manager at Lane was a member of TEI and encouraged me to join,” she notes. “TEI not only provided relevant training but also helped me build a strong network with peers. And because I believe strongly in the organization and its mission, becoming involved at the chapter level was a natural next step.”
As chapter secretary, Ehmer is engaged in numerous initiatives. “The Connecticut Valley Chapter is a smaller chapter, and one of our key priorities is continuing to build engagement across our membership,” she says. “We are focused on increasing participation from our current members, while also encouraging newer professionals to get involved and see the value of TEI early in their careers.”
How? “Providing high-quality continuing education remains a core focus for the chapter,” she adds. “To this end, we host high-quality tax seminars throughout the year, designed to address current issues and developments across corporate, state, and international tax as well as other forums for educating our members. We are also exploring additional initiatives, such as offering a scholarship to an MST candidate from a local university, as a means to strengthen connections with the next generation of tax professionals.”
Outside of work, Ehmer enjoys reading, baking, hiking, and traveling. A high point in her travels came in her junior year of college, when she studied abroad at Glasgow University in Scotland. Now, she says, she best recharges in quieter settings. “My idea of peace is sitting by a lake in Maine on a warm, sunny day, with a good book and a great cup of English tea.”
