Meet Ben Bruce, the Chief Financial Officer of Freedom Reads. On any given day, Ben is the steady hand behind the organization's financial operations, reviewing transactions, approving expense reports, closing the books each month, and steering longer-term projects like the annual budget and year-end audit. He describes his work as balancing a dual objective: advancing the organization's mission while staying true to sound financial policy and legal requirements.
What keeps Ben motivated is the people around him. "I'm honored to be working with people that inspire me to be better," he says. "The passion and engagement the staff bring to the mission continues to amaze me." Watching books bring hope and dignity to those on the inside, he shares, is something he finds deeply powerful.
When it comes to the Freedom Library, Ben returns again and again to Crime and Punishment. He first read Dostoevsky's classic as a young man and has revisited it several times since, drawn back by the richness of its characters and the remarkable range of emotion Dostoevsky captures. Outside of work, Ben coaches youth cycling and soccer, and has spent 13 years as a bike marshal for the Closer to Free ride for cancer research. And for the ultimate fun fact: before kids, Ben and his wife hiked the legendary 112-mile Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.
We are grateful to have Ben's expertise and dedication guiding the financial work of Freedom Reads!