tim cotnoir

Cotnoir Fills Role as Chief Financial Officer for Diocese

By Gretchen R. Crowe
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 1/11/07)

Tim Cotnoir moved with his family from the Diocese of Portland, Maine, 550 miles south to the Diocese of Arlington in June 2005 to accept the newly created position of controller in the Office of Finance and Accounting for the Chancery. In the past year-and-a-half, Cotnoir and his wife, Jennifer, have sold and bought a house, celebrated the birth of their third child, and, now, celebrated a promotion. As of Nov. 1, Cotnoir was officially appointed as chief financial officer for the diocese after serving as the acting director since March, replacing Bill Kirst. Two months into the job, Cotnoir’s desk is filled with papers, including a picture scribbled by 5-year-old son Isaac, and a smile is quick to brighten his face as he talks of the diocesan projects he oversees.
“The diocese is in a growth pattern,” he said. “We’re bursting at the seams.”
He ticks off projects that have been consuming him lately: the new high school on the Cherry Hill peninsula and the Spirituality Center in White Post, not to mention the day-to-day tasks of monitoring the finances of the many Chancery departments. He oversees financial recording and reporting, investments and budgets. He works with auditors and the diocesan financial council.
“It’s a big operation,” he said. “It’s tough to juggle everything.”
Cotnoir was born in Kentshill, Maine, on Feb. 17, 1969, the eighth child and seventh son of his parent’s soon-to-be 10 children. His twin, Thomas, claimed ninth place when he was born five minutes later. Cotnoir is the “seventh son of a seventh son;” his father also had nine brothers and sisters.
Cotnoir worked his way through college — one of his jobs was as an “on-air personality” at a local radio station where he met Jennifer — and earned an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Maine in Presque Isle and Augusta. Cotnoir became a certified public accountant and worked for Maine state government and as a public accountant. The Cotnoirs were married in February 1992 and served at their local parish as a youth ministry team.
While working for the Church in that capacity, the job of assistant controller for the Diocese of Portland became vacant.
“I kind of felt a little calling,” Cotnoir said. “I’ve never looked back.”
Six-and-a-half years later, he was recruited for the job of controller in Arlington. The family made the move and has found its home in Alexandria at Good Shepherd Parish.
Cotnoir said he values the “mission side” of his job, and hopes that he can be of some help to the bishop by running the financial tasks of the diocese.
“As challenging as it is on some days, it’s extremely fulfilling in my faith in working for the Church in an organization I so believe in and espouse,” Cotnoir said. “My cup overflows.”

Gretchen R. Crowe can be reached at www.catholicherald.com.