Kathy Palmanteer was born in Tucson , Arizona and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Creighton University and her Master of Science degree in Counseling and Guidance from The University of Nebraska. She returned to Tucson to complete the final semester of her graduate program at The University of Arizona. After several years of working various jobs unrelated to education , she returned to higher education in 1997 and began her career at ASU, first as an academic advisor and later as the Assistant Director of Graduate Academic Services in the School of Accountancy in  the  W.P. Carey School. She retired in December 2018 after 21 years of service.