Stockton Bates Tax Director joins SCTE

The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) has announced the recent hiring of Cathy Oakes as the Society’s new vice president, finance and accounting.

The newest member of SCTE’s professional staff comes to SCTE from Stockton Bates, a Philadelphia-based public accounting firm where she worked as tax director, and before that The Harron Companies, a privately held company with interests in cable, broadcast television, radio, and several entertainment and new technology ventures.

Oakes brings broad experience in accounting, forecasting, budgeting, analysis, cash management and treasury, and bank policies and relations.

“I am very happy that Cathy Oakes has joined our team,” said SCTE President/CEO John Clark. “Cathy’s combination of public accounting and direct cable experience makes her an ideal fit for SCTE.”

Oakes worked eight years with Harron, first as corporate tax manager followed by promotions to director of finance and tax and then to chief financial officer/treasurer. She served on the board of directors for some of Harron’s investment and holding companies.

Oakes earned her bachelor of science from Penn State University with a major in finance and also a master of science from Widener University with a major in taxation. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Certified Public Accountants.

This vice president position that SCTE has filled with the hiring of Oakes had been occupied by Patricia Zelenka, who passed away suddenly May 29, just weeks before what would have been her 20th anniversary on the SCTE staff.

The SCTE professional staff serves the Society’s more than 15,000 members from SCTE headquarters in Exton (suburban Philadelphia), Pa.