Kathy Prather became the Superintendent/CEO of Pima JTED on July 1, 2018, one year after being appointed as the district’s Deputy Superintendent. Her career in education spans 35 years in multiple locations throughout Arizona, including Rough Rock High School, Prescott College, Northwest Pioneer College, Mohave Community College, Mohave High School, Colorado River Union High School District, Tucson Unified School District, and Sunnyside Unified School District.

She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration-Management, a Master of Arts Degree in Vocational Technical Education, and multiple certifications from the Arizona Department of Education including Superintendent, Principal and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher.

Each year, thousands of students in the CTE programs she oversees receive nationally-recognized industry certifications, licenses and credentials as well as dual college credit from Pima Community College and/or concurrent tuition credit from the University of Arizona.

The Association for Career and Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ) recognized Kathy’s contributions to CTE with their 2011 Administrator of the Year Award, and again with the 2016 ACTEAZ Lifetime Achievement Award.  Kathy served on the Board of the National Council of Local Administrators (NCLA) from 2008-2015 as well as the Executive Board of the Arizona Council of Occupational and Vocational Administrators (ACOVA) from 2006-2014.  Kathy currently serves as a member of the Southern Arizona Leadership Council, the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Congressman Juan Ciscomani’s Citizen Advisory Council, United Way Cradle to Career Leadership Committee, Metropolitan Education Commission, Pima County Workforce Investment Board, Banner University Medicine Community Advisory Committee, Tucson’s Leading Women, Women’s Executive Connection and she has previously served on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity Tucson and the Southern Arizona Chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness.  Greater Tucson Leadership named Kathy as Tucson’s Woman of the Year at their Community Impact Awards Event in April 2023.

Today, Kathy remains committed to forging mutually beneficial partnerships with business, community, and educational leaders to strengthen Pima JTED’s programs which provide local industry with the skilled workforce they need to thrive. She is actively transforming the culture at Pima JTED to the Growth Mindset to elevate students’ experiences, and employee job satisfaction. One of her top priorities is continuing to develop students’ professional skills so that they are ready to succeed in both college and careers.

A native Tucsonan, Kathy lives with her husband Brad Prather, a retired teacher.  They have two grown children, and one granddaughter.  When she is not on a JTED Campus, she can be found at a Southern Arizona golf course or visiting a local playground with her granddaughter.