Bethany Lord is a pancreatic cancer survivor, an entrepreneur, a fitness coach, a mentor and community volunteer. Most recently as the chief human resources and culture officer at Woodsboro Bank, she works with leadership to develop a company culture where high performance, innovation, engagement, and teamwork are routine. She has been in HR for 17 years and currently holds both the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. Bethany is a graduate of Frostburg State University where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in HR, the “business that deals with people”. She is currently enrolled in a master’s program where she is working towards her master’s in industrial organizational psychology.
A lesson learned early in her career is that if you are asked to have a seat at the table, you had better have an opinion on the topic. Where Bethany shines is her ability to bring together ideas for the betterment of the organization and people. She was once told that has a dangerous combination of personality traits in which she is not only capable of dreaming big but also can coach people to believe they can achieve it. Bethany has deemed herself a Confluencer – a person responsible for the bringing together of people and ideas.
Bethany has been recognized for her leadership skills and developing individuals to realize their full potential. Her Sparketype is Advisor, she is a 3 (Achiever) on the Enneagram, and an ENTJ personality type. She believes that to lead others, you must first understand yourself.
When Bethany is not coaching and developing those in business, she is coaching and developing her 3 boys. Her middle son was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy in 2020 and since then she has worked to understand the disease and become an advocate for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, fundraising throughout the year in support of her son, along with her family. She is a volunteer and current mentor with Woman 2 Woman Mentoring, Past President of Frederick County SHRM, serves on the City of Frederick’s Personnel Board, and is an advisory board member for the Maryland Bankers Association Council of Professional Women in Banking and Finance.
Bethany Lord participated in the 2024 Nonprofit Summit as a breakout presenter. Her breakout room topics were: Creating a Culture of Inclusivity and HR Department of 1.
