We All Create

As I am a sophomore in college, my plan for the future is to get my bachelor’s degree in accounting. I then want to take my certified public accounting exam to become a CPA. Fortunately, I am lucky enough to have an uncle who has been both a CPA and a CFO (chief financial officer). I was so excited when I found out I was going to interview him as he is someone I look up to highly.

My uncle’s name is Jason Richardson. His life was not planned out right in front of him at a young age as some of ours are. For example, I am in college straight out of high school and I know accounting was something I was interested in. After high school, Jason spent 10 years in the US Air Force as a C-130 Aircraft mechanic. After the Gulf War, he realized carrying a toolbox all day was not something he wanted to do and there had to be a better way of making a living. That is when he decided to pursue is degree in accounting.

Jason had always liked money, making money, saving money, etc so he knew accounting might have been a good fit for him. He also took a couple of accounting classes in high school and has enjoyed them. Ultimately, he ended up with 4 degrees. He has an Associate degree in Aircraft Mechanics, an Associate degree in business administration, a bachelor of science in accounting, and a bachelor of science in business administration. Out of college he went into public accounting so that he could earn the required hours for becoming a certified public accountant. He spent 4 years in public accounting learning and perfecting his craft. The accounting firm he worked for specialized in Nonprofit audits and tax, which is something he really gravitated towards. He said “public accounting was a great experience, but it was just not personally fulfilling to me”. That is when he heard of a CFO positioning opening up at ARIS solutions, which is a nonprofit organization which he has audited for the previous 3 years. He then jumped into that position and spent the next 18 years there growing ARIS solutions. Working at ARIS solutions helped him learn that a nonprofit organization was where he was supposed to be as he loved helping people. After 18 years and covid he decided that he wanted a change, that is when he moved from New Hampshire to Texas to become a CFO for a different nonprofit organization Center for Transforming Lives.

CTL serves women and children experiencing homelessness and poverty. They provide childcare services, housing services, clinical services, and economic mobility services. CTL has a 20 million dollar budget with approximately 20 federal and state contracts. Their accounting department has 7 staff that Jason supervises as a CFO. He said, “I have often said if you can’t get your head wrapped around serving women and children, I do not know what motivates you”.

The most important skill of being a CFO would have to be being an effective leader. His staff relies on him, and he relies on them for the company to be successful.