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The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Ben Clouse is the new chief financial officer for the organization. Photo credit: Shutterstock (TippaPatt).
Posted November 4, 2025
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced Ben Clouse, who previously served as chief financial officer for CrossFirst Bank, has been named the nonprofit’s next CFO.
Clouse will begin his new role effective Tuesday, November 11, according to a Monday release. Clouse will oversee the Kauffman Foundation’s financial management, planning, and reporting functions, ensuring resources are effectively aligned to support programmatic and strategic priorities.
Clouse succeeds Kristin Bechard, who held the position of CFO for the Kaufmann Foundation for over nine years. Bechard announced she would be stepping down from her role at Kauffmann and taking on a new CFO position at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in July. In Bechard’s leave, Jamie Miller served as interim CFO for the Kaufmann Foundation.
“I am honored to join the Kauffman Foundation and contribute to its mission of empowering communities and entrepreneurs,” Clouse said in the release. “Strong financial stewardship is critical to advancing the Foundation’s work, and I look forward to collaborating with the leadership team and associates to extend the Foundation’s impact.”
With more than 25 years of executive experience across several sectors, Clouse most recently served as CFO for CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc., where he led accounting, analytics, financial planning & analysis, investor relations, and treasury functions. He worked at CrossFirst for over four years and helped coordinate the $900 million sale of the bank to First Busey Corporation.
“His [Clouse’s] experience guiding organizations through growth and transformation will be valuable as we continue to invest in ideas and collaborations that expand opportunity,” President and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation, Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, said in the release.
Clouse holds a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Kansas State University. Clouse also serves as a board chair of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and as a member of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas Finance Council.
