Meet the Team: Chief of Security Bethanie Nix

Bethanie was born in Alabama, but grew up near Dallas, Texas. She attended Eastern New Mexico University on a tennis scholarship where she studied psychology. After graduation, Bethanie utilized her training in psychology, working in asset protection on a retail level for several years. She investigated internal retail theft and became a supervisor at a large retail outlet company in Texas. Bethanie expanded her experience by next working for CVS Health.  At  CVS,  she investigated not only merchandise theft but also pharmaceutical theft. She again became a supervisor and was transferred to Arizona. In this new opportunity, Bethanie became well versed in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) compliance, laws that employers must follow to maintain safe working environments. This role involved a tremendous amount of travel and logging long hours. Years of this demanding schedule prompted her to make a move to a company that aligned closer to her values, which was REI. She loves exploring the outdoors and commented on how well they treat their employees. Her role at REI relocated Bethanie to their flagship store in Seattle, then later to Denver where she learned other sides of the retail business including shipping and receiving, and order fulfillment. 

Bethanie pursued an opportunity to work for the University of Oregon in Eugene at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art as a Security Administrator, which also brought her closer to family. Bethanie loved being surrounded by art, noting that it provokes thought, conversation, and pointed environmental storytelling.  For Bethanie, working in a museum, it’s the stories behind the art objects and the artists that are the draw for her.  She particularly loved a program that the JSMA museum had called, Shared Visions. This unique program invites private collectors to share their own personal artwork with the museum guests for about ninety days. The program presented exciting works by internationally recognized artists from around the world including Picasso and Bacon and others and allowed an opportunity for the public to enjoy and study extraordinary pieces from private collections on short term loans. The artwork was constantly rotating which was fascinating and added an elevated security challenge.

Bethanie had never been to Maine before starting as the Farnsworth’s Chief of Security a few months ago. She and her family drove cross country to make the move. Environmental conservation has always been important to her and having lived around the country and experiencing the first hand challenges of climate change- through drought and heatwaves, an opportunity to live in Midcoast Maine was most appealing. The rocky, pine tree lined coastline reminds her of the Oregon coast. She loves the smaller population and all of the outdoor activities in addition to living near the water. Her work at the JSMA awakened a love of being surrounded by artwork. Bethanie especially enjoys being inside the Wyeth Center. The peace and quiet solitude reminds her of her grandfather who was a choir director. When not securing the Farnsworth, Bethanie enjoys hiking, exploring Maines many microbreweries with her wife Crystal, and spoiling their cats.