Treasurer of the United States.
Katherine Ortega was born on July 16, 1934 into a family of 9 other children, and had a strong emphasis on education. So it was no surprised that she graduated from high school with high honors and flying colors. She was very well educated in the subject of business and wanted to pursue that career after she graduated. She completed the requirements to teach high school business courses but was advised that being Latino decreased her chances of finding a teaching position in Eastern New Mexico. So her hard work would all be for nothing? She disagreed with this and would not let it bring her down. So with great determination, she decided to work at her family's restaurant at a starting point. .
Next, Ortega achieved endless accomplishments. She became licensed as a certified public accountant in California. She was also a tax supervisor for Peat, Martwick, Mitchell and Company in 1969. Then in 1972, she was vice president for the Pan American National Bank of Los Angeles, which led to her position as director of the Latino-owned Santa Ana Bank in 1975. She was also the first female president of a California bank. .
The fact that her family was quite business oriented helped her become a consultant to Otero Savings and Loan Association of Alamogordo which was founded by her oldest sister and mother. Though, her accomplishments are numerous, probably one of her biggest and well-known achievement is that fact that she was a former treasurer of the United States. She starting hitting it big when President Reagan named her to the Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business Ownership and then later appointed and confirmed as a commissioner on the Copyright Royalty Tribunal. Later that year, President Reagan recognized her potential and talent and nominated her to be Treasurer of the United States. On October 3, 1983, she was sworn in and officially became the 38th Treasurer of the United States and held that position until 1989.
