Celebrating the Women of Connected Nation: Bernie Bogle, CFO
Editor’s note: In honor of Women’s History Month, we are profiling the women at Connected Nation. From leadership roles to internship positions, these women are using their skills and experiences at every level of the organization to fulfill our mission to expand broadband access, adoption, and use to all people.
Bowling Green, Ky. (March 13, 2019) – Bernie Bogle has been with Connected Nation almost from the very start. She has worked at CN for 16 of the 18 years the nonprofit has been striving to connect families and communities—first in Kentucky, and then across the country.
Bogle has broken the glass ceiling as a woman who is serving in the so-called “C-Suite.” As the organization’s chief financial officer (CFO), she takes her time to connect with staff on the financial needs of individual projects—advising and helping them improve their fiscal responsibility.
“It means I’m involved a little bit in almost everything. I oversee all financial aspects of the organization including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasts, approving vendor contracts and negotiating with vendors when necessary,” Bogle explains. “I report to the CEO and ensure he has a clear understanding of the financial status of CN. I work closely with our development team to identify and track opportunities and approve quotes for proposals, and I also work with human resources and IT to ensure necessary resources are in place to fulfill our mission.”
She also provides a transparent financial report at monthly company-wide meetings, dubbed “Connection Sessions.” Bogle opens up the floor to questions and discussion so there’s a clear understanding among all employees of how the nonprofit is doing financially.
A Path to Leadership
Bogle has always had a knack for numbers and math. She took her first accounting class as a Junior in high school and has been hooked ever since.
“Accounting made sense, was easy for me, and I excelled at it, even winning some accounting competitions. Can you believe there was such a thing as an accounting competition?” she said. “It was then I decided to pursue accounting as a profession. I earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Western Kentucky University in accounting.”
She later served as president of the WKU Accounting Club and pursued and established a Beta Alpha Psi chapter, the international honor organization for accounting students. After graduating, she began working in public accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant, gaining experience in the nonprofit and governmental areas. She eventually landed at Connected Nation.
“I’m so grateful and humbled by the opportunities I have had over the course of my career. I love working at Connected Nation because I truly believe that—as our mantra says—'Everyone Belongs in a Connected Nation.’”
Bogle added that there are lots of opportunities for young women in the accounting field, but she stressed that it’s important to focus on more than just numbers.
“The best advice I can give to young women entering this career field is make sure to develop communication skills, whether it’s interpersonal communications, public speaking, or simply knowing the value of small talk,” she said. “Being good with numbers is important, but it is just as important if not more important to be able to develop relationships and convey the meaning behind the numbers to stakeholders.”
Related Links:
Celebrating Women’s History Month with a Tech Twist: Hedy Lamarr – Actress and Inventor
Meet more of the Women of Connected Nation:
Maddie Garnett, Human Resources and Special Projects Coordinator
Heather Gate, Director of Digital Inclusion
Ashley Hitt, Director, GIS Services
Gina Lindsey, Executive Assistant to the Chairman & CEO
Bowling Green, Ky. (March 13, 2019) – Bernie Bogle has been with Connected Nation almost from the very start. She has worked at CN for 16 of the 18 years the nonprofit has been striving to connect families and communities—first in Kentucky, and then across the country.
Bogle has broken the glass ceiling as a woman who is serving in the so-called “C-Suite.” As the organization’s chief financial officer (CFO), she takes her time to connect with staff on the financial needs of individual projects—advising and helping them improve their fiscal responsibility.
“It means I’m involved a little bit in almost everything. I oversee all financial aspects of the organization including financial reporting, budgeting, forecasts, approving vendor contracts and negotiating with vendors when necessary,” Bogle explains. “I report to the CEO and ensure he has a clear understanding of the financial status of CN. I work closely with our development team to identify and track opportunities and approve quotes for proposals, and I also work with human resources and IT to ensure necessary resources are in place to fulfill our mission.”
She also provides a transparent financial report at monthly company-wide meetings, dubbed “Connection Sessions.” Bogle opens up the floor to questions and discussion so there’s a clear understanding among all employees of how the nonprofit is doing financially.
A Path to Leadership
Bogle has always had a knack for numbers and math. She took her first accounting class as a Junior in high school and has been hooked ever since.
“Accounting made sense, was easy for me, and I excelled at it, even winning some accounting competitions. Can you believe there was such a thing as an accounting competition?” she said. “It was then I decided to pursue accounting as a profession. I earned a bachelor’s of science degree from Western Kentucky University in accounting.”
She later served as president of the WKU Accounting Club and pursued and established a Beta Alpha Psi chapter, the international honor organization for accounting students. After graduating, she began working in public accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant, gaining experience in the nonprofit and governmental areas. She eventually landed at Connected Nation.
“I’m so grateful and humbled by the opportunities I have had over the course of my career. I love working at Connected Nation because I truly believe that—as our mantra says—'Everyone Belongs in a Connected Nation.’”
Bogle added that there are lots of opportunities for young women in the accounting field, but she stressed that it’s important to focus on more than just numbers.
“The best advice I can give to young women entering this career field is make sure to develop communication skills, whether it’s interpersonal communications, public speaking, or simply knowing the value of small talk,” she said. “Being good with numbers is important, but it is just as important if not more important to be able to develop relationships and convey the meaning behind the numbers to stakeholders.”
Related Links:
Celebrating Women’s History Month with a Tech Twist: Hedy Lamarr – Actress and Inventor
Meet more of the Women of Connected Nation:
Maddie Garnett, Human Resources and Special Projects Coordinator
Heather Gate, Director of Digital Inclusion
Ashley Hitt, Director, GIS Services
Gina Lindsey, Executive Assistant to the Chairman & CEO