Bethany A. Uhlein
About Bethany A. Uhlein
Bethany A. Uhlein is Vice President and Ombudsman of Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) and other Gabelli closed-end funds, with year of birth 1990 and service since May 2017; she is also Senior Vice President of GAMCO Investors, Inc. since 2021, and is based at One Corporate Center, Rye, NY 10580-1422 . In fund communications, she serves as Investor Relations contact across ECF press releases in 2024–2025, reflecting responsibilities in shareholder engagement and disclosures . Fund-level performance context during her tenure includes an 18% year-to-date NAV total return cited in August 2025 and net assets rising to $216 million in November 2025, framing operating conditions for IR and shareholder distribution policy execution .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabelli Fund Complex (closed-end funds) | Vice President and/or Ombudsman | Since May 2017 | Senior officer supporting investor relations, shareholder communication, and ombudsman function across the complex |
| Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund (ECF) | Vice President and Ombudsman | Since 2017 | Investor Relations contact on multiple distribution notices, facilitating shareholder options and tax disclosure communications |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAMCO Investors, Inc. | Senior Vice President | Since 2021 | Senior leadership position at the adviser to ECF, underscoring primary employment outside the Fund entity |
Fixed Compensation
- ECF’s proxy statements present compensation tables for Trustees and officers “if any” who are compensated by the Fund rather than the Adviser; in recent proxies, compensation is shown for Trustees only, with no officer compensation line items disclosed for Uhlein (she is an adviser employee) .
- As a result, base salary, bonus, equity awards, and perquisites for Uhlein are not disclosed at the Fund level; compensation is determined by the Adviser (Gabelli Funds/GAMCO), not itemized in ECF filings .
Performance Compensation
- No incentive plan metrics, payout curves, RSU/PSU structures, or option grants tied to Fund-level targets are disclosed for Uhlein in ECF filings; officers’ compensation resides with the Adviser, and ECF proxies do not provide those details .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
| Item | Status | As-of Date |
|---|---|---|
| Listed in ECF beneficial ownership table | Not listed among Trustees/nominees/executive officers reported; no holdings shown for Uhlein | Dec 31, 2024 |
| Section 16 filings (Form 3/4) | Recent Form 3 in catalog pertains to Trustee Colin J. Kilrain; no Form 3/4 excerpts for Uhlein found in ECF catalog | Mar 21, 2025 (Kilrain) |
| Pledging/Hedging | No disclosures identifying pledging/hedging by Uhlein in ECF filings | N/A |
| Stock ownership guidelines | Not disclosed for Fund officers; ECF proxies focus on Trustee remuneration/ownership | N/A |
Interpretation: Uhlein is not reported with Fund share ownership in ECF’s 2025 proxy tables, and no Section 16 ownership statement excerpts were found for her in ECF’s recent document set; this limits visibility into “skin-in-the-game” alignment at the Fund-entity level .
Employment Terms
- Title/tenure: Vice President and Ombudsman since 2017; Senior Vice President at GAMCO since 2021; address One Corporate Center, Rye, NY 10580-1422 .
- Employment agreements, non-compete/non-solicit, severance, change-of-control terms, clawbacks, and tax gross-ups for Uhlein are not disclosed in ECF filings; no Item 5.02 events referencing Uhlein were identified in ECF’s recent document catalog [11] (catalog) .
Performance & Track Record
| Metric | Aug 23, 2024 | Feb 13, 2025 | May 14, 2025 | Aug 26, 2025 | Nov 12, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net Assets ($MM) | $172 | $190 | $186 | $199 | $216 |
| NAV Total Return (YTD) | — | — | — | 18% | — |
- Distribution communications under Uhlein’s IR contact: $0.13/share declared Feb 13, 2025 ; distribution policy communications repeated in May and Nov 2025 press releases, with investor election mechanics and tax characterization guidance .
- The Board increased quarterly distribution to $0.19/share in August 2025, citing 18% YTD NAV total return, reinforcing operational momentum and shareholder distribution signaling .
Governance Context (Fund)
- Beneficial ownership tables in proxies detail holdings for Trustees and select executive officers; Uhlein is listed among officers but not in the reported beneficial ownership table, underscoring role as Adviser employee rather than Fund-compensated officer .
- Trustee compensation is disclosed at granular levels (retainers/meeting fees) in ECF proxies; officer compensation data is not provided at the Fund level .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Because Uhlein is paid by the Adviser (GAMCO) and ECF does not disclose officer compensation packages, pay-for-performance levers (bonus metrics, equity awards, vesting) are opaque at the Fund-entity level; investor monitoring should pivot to Fund policy outcomes (NAV TR, distribution decisions) rather than executive comp signals .
- Insider selling pressure: No ECF ownership table listings or Section 16 excerpts for Uhlein were found; consequently, there are limited direct insider trading signals tied to her. The only recent Form 3 excerpt relates to a Trustee, not Uhlein .
- Retention risk: Tenure since 2017 and expanded senior role at GAMCO in 2021 suggest organizational continuity in shareholder communications; however, absence of disclosed employment terms (severance/change-of-control) prevents deeper retention risk quantification .
- Focus areas for investors: Track Fund-level performance and distribution policy execution—e.g., NAV total return and net assets trend—and Board decisions that affect shareholder outcomes; IR communication cadence under Uhlein provides timely distribution and tax characterization guidance that may influence investor expectations .