Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

honors alumni, under the age of 40, who have enhanced the prestige of the University by virtue of their character, integrity, and personal accomplishments.

Katherine (Williams ’96) Dean earned her Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Valparaiso University and attended one semester abroad in Reutlingen, Germany.  In 2003, she received her Masters in Taxation with high honors from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.  Dean is currently the senior vice president, managing director of wealth planning for Wells Fargo WMG in San Francisco.  She has over fifteen years of experience in the financial service industry and previously headed up her own financial advisory group, The Graves/Dean Group at Merrill Lynch.  She also served as a tax manager at Frank, Rimerman, the largest non-public CPA firm in California.  She has served as an adjunct professor and has trained more than 1,500 colleagues on best practices in financial planning.  Dean speaks widely through the San Francisco Bay area on topics surrounding wealth management and philanthropy to many organizations including Oakland Children’s Hospital, the Financial Planning Association, the Northern California Planned Giving Council and the Association for Healthcare Professionals.  Katherine and her husband, Tim, are parents of two children.