Kate Johnson
Kate was fortunate enough to grow up appreciating the outdoors. Early on, her small family enjoyed living in several of our country’s great National Parks where her father worked. As an educator, her mother taught her the value of lifelong learning, often through the exploration of new parks and extensive travel. This love of the wide-open spaces brought her family to Casper, Wyoming in the late 1970s.
Kate attended Hastings College in Nebraska, where she majored in Human Resources and Business. Kate ventured to the Denver area after college to pursue a career and remain close to the great outdoors. She continued her formal education, receiving her MBA from Regis University while working and raising her family in the foothills near Denver. Kate relocated back to Casper in 2017 when an opportunity arose which permitted her to be closer to family while still pursuing her career in the investment management space.
Kate joined Ashton Thomas in 2021 as a Wealth Advisor and Senior Portfolio manager in Casper, Wyoming. Previously, she was a Senior Investment Strategist with Wells Fargo Private Bank. Kate is part of the Casper Private Wealth Team that includes Mike Porter and Goda Stevens. “We each chose Ashton Thomas to help enhance the level and breadth of services provided to the high-net-worth clients we serve,” says Kate. “Clients want to work with someone who understands what they need, is capable of adjusting their plan as life unfolds, and is with them for the long haul. Ashton Thomas has given us the tools and resources we need to put our clients first in everything we do.”
Over her thirty-year career in the financial industry, Kate has been fortunate to hold several roles which shaped her knowledge and passion for wealth management. These roles included employee benefits plan management, design, and recordkeeping, as well as oversight of portfolio performance reporting and trading systems. “Who knew numbers could be so cool,” she says. Most recently, Kate managed a complex book of business with just over $900 million in assets comprised of trusts, foundations, endowments, corporate assets and—most importantly—individual accounts. “I enjoy taking complex topics and making them easier to apply to individual client situations,” says Kate. “Investments are interesting to me, but clients care primarily about whether or not we are meeting their planning goals. That’s what I focus on: building portfolios to help them accomplish their goals.”
Kate has been actively involved in the Casper community since her return, particularly in philanthropic efforts. “A big part of our decision to come to Casper was the opportunity to be more involved in the community,” she says. Kate is currently a board member of the Wyoming Women’s Foundation and the Gottsche Foundation.
She and her significant other, a professional fly-fishing guide, have four adult daughters between them. They love dogs and currently have a black Lab named Finn. They also enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors. “Make the most of the time you have,” says Kate. “Live your best life every day as often as you can and take the opportunity to learn something new.”
