Patti Hohne
What I do: I was hired as the Chief Financial Officer for the Foundation of Eastern Montana in 2026. I work directly for the Foundation President and help the Foundation fulfill its mission by supervision of all financial activities. This includes monitoring gifts, grants and beneficiary distributions to be sure that the Foundation follows donor intentions. I served as Treasurer of the Foundation board until early 2026, when I was asked to join the staff instead which puts me in a much stronger position to support the Foundation with procedures and oversight, and I love it!
What I did: I am a Certified Public Accountant, recently retired from public practice. My California accounting practice was in existence from 1984 until my husband and I made the decision to move the Montana in 2018. I have worked with a wide range of clients, from individual taxpayers to estates and trusts and small businesses and even a community foundation. I pared down my client base and continued to work remotely from 2018 until 2026.
What the Fancy Stuff on My Wall is: I have a Business degree from California State University, Fresno with a concentration in Accounting. I qualified as a California Certified Public Accountant in 1981 and I also became a Montana Certified Public Accountant in 2018.
Favorite Place In Montana: As a newish resident of Montana, I have not visited a lot of places because this is a huge state. I would say that Livingston is my favorite place. I love how it is situated along the Yellowstone River, amidst the mountains. Yes, I am getting used to the wind, thank you for asking. I love thinking about William Clark sailing down this river, on his way to the confluence of the Missouri.
About Faith and Work: I married my husband, a Catholic, in 1981 but I did not convert until 1994. God works in mysterious ways as it took many years after that to even come close to understanding the awesome beauty of our faith. Our move to St Mary’s parish here in 2018 gave me an opportunity to see with fresh eyes and through relationship with new friends. This led me to meeting Judy and her invitation to join the Board of the Foundation in 2019. I continue to reflect on the wonder of allowing me to combine my faith and work experience to further the mission of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings.
My Favorite Part of My Job: I enjoy thinking about the big picture of this position and its integral part of the work done here. It is fun for me to get creative with efficiency to use the Foundation’s income wisely.
Fun Personal Fact: I grew up and lived in the gold rush area of California, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains until our Montana move. We have four adult children, nine grandchildren sprinkled between Idaho, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Denmark. Needless to say, we have to travel a lot.
