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Computer services exec takes worry out of IT
Danielle Austen / Daily RecordCathy Coloff, vice president and partner of Veraciti, helped found the computer services company in 2000. |
By Wayne Pollard, Special to the Daily Record
The job: Cathy Coloff is vice president and a partner at Veraciti, a firm in the Cedar Knolls section of Hanover that helps businesses design, implement and support their computer systems.
"We worry about their computer systems so they don't have to."
Company also provides Internet access, Web hosting and e-mail services.
Founded company in 2000 with Frank Altieri, a partner at the firm where Coloff previously worked. When the firm changed directions, she and Altieri decided to start their own company.
Coloff is technical but has taken a more active role in sales. "I wear many hats."
Technology challenges facing small businesses: "They have a lot of the same needs that large businesses have but they don't have the personnel · . Knowing which is the right solution for them is a challenge for small to medium businesses."
Organizations: An active member of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, she is a member of the Business Technology Committee and the Small Business Committee.
Also active in Ski-for-Light; she is a guide for visually impaired cross-country skiers. An "incredible" organization.
Also, a board member of The Unity Group, a group that aids battered women.
Born: April 8,1966, in Idaho Falls, Idaho. "I've moved around a bit." Moved to New Jersey in 1988 after getting a job at Exxon in Florham Park.
Parents: Father worked for the Department of Interior. Mother retired from the Fairfax County (Va.) public school system. Parents live in Virginia. They taught her to try her best. Also told her that "nothing is closed to me as a woman or a minority."
Education: Graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. "I enjoyed math and science." Engineering degree taught her to be a "good analytical thinker."
Also holds a master's in Management of Technology from Stevens Institute of Technology; attended school at night.
Career: Before working at a technology firm with Altieri, then co-founding Veraciti, Coloff worked in Bear Stearns' information technology department.
Family: Married to Doug Verge for 10 years. She met him at Exxon. "He caught my eye." Two cats: Oliver and Gizmo.
Home: Has lived in Randolph for 12 years.
Hobbies: Interior decorating is her "passion."
Sports: Enjoys cross-country skiing. "I fell in love with it · . I like being outside in nature." Has a home in Vermont that she visits once a month.
Wheels: Black Audi A4 Quattro. "You need all-wheel drive for both Randolph and Vermont!"
Favorite food: Mexican. Lived in New Mexico "for a while."
Favorite restaurant: Rattlesnake Cafe in Denville. "They have good Mexican food." Also likes the Cafe's outdoor dining. "A lot places don't have that."
On the screen: "The Thomas Crowne Affair." "It had all the things you need (in a movie)."
On the page: "I read a lot of everything." "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte is her favorite. "A classic!"
Keys to success: "I care · . I don't do anything under 100 percent."
Advice to business owners: "Sit down and figure out what the value of your IT investment is. Then take measures to protect it." Also, "IT is not an expense; it's an investment."
People would be surprised to know: Her taste in music. "I'm eclectic." One of her favorite bands is The Cure.
Proudest moment: Last year she was in Alaska for Ski-for-Light and guided her skier into a first-place finish. "That was a proud moment. It was a team effort."