Bethany serves as VP, CFO Services at Venture First. She is a CPA, two-time CFO, and JD candidate studying corporate and securities law. Her financial leadership spans for-profit and nonprofit higher education, construction, distribution, and entrepreneurial ventures.
Before joining Venture First, Bethany served as CFO at Spalding University, where she built the FP&A function, strengthened financial reporting, and led finance, IT, HR, and auxiliary operations. As a member of the executive committee, she served as a strategic partner to the board’s audit, investment, and finance committees.
Previously, as CFO at Sullivan University, Bethany helped reverse a decade-long enrollment decline, delivering 11% growth, and drove an 88% improvement in cash flow over the prior decade. She also led a full transformation of the accounting and finance function, establishing the reporting and forecasting infrastructure needed to support long-term performance.
Earlier in her career, Bethany served as Controller for Schnell Contractors and founded and operated her own CPA firm, Smith CPA and Associates, PLLC. This cross-industry range gives her a practical, operator-minded perspective on the challenges companies face at every stage of growth.
Bethany holds a Master of Science in Accounting from the University of Kentucky and is completing her JD at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law, with a concentration in corporate and securities law. She serves as Program Chair on the board of Financial Executives International (FEI) Louisville.