Jeanne Bonds
Encyclopedia
Jeanne Milliken Bonds was the first female Mayor of Knightdale, North Carolina
. She was first appointed to the Town Council in 1994. She was elected Mayor Pro Tem in 1995, elected by the citizens in 1995 (top vote getter); re-elected in 1999 (top vote getter); and appointed Mayor
in 2002 upon the election of Joe Bryan to the Wake County Board of Commissioners
.
, born in 1962 (14 November). She graduated from John T. Hoggard High School
in 1981. Bonds is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
, where she earned a degree in Economics
and a graduate degree in Public Administration
. She is an alumna of the Kappa Alpha Theta
sorority (See List of Kappa Alpha Theta sisters). She is married to Robert Alexander Bonds III, of Natchez, Mississippi
, a graduate of the University of Mississippi
and North Carolina State University
(MBA). Robert Bonds' grandfather, Robert A. Bonds, Sr. served in the Mississippi House of Representatives
and his grandmother, Annie Hastings Bonds, also served in the same House seat when her husband died. Robert A. Bonds, Jr. was a judge in Natchez.
. As Deputy Director of the state Administrative Office of the Courts and special assistant to Chief Justice Mitchell, Bonds was able to convince state lawmakers to increase funding to the judiciary for more personnel and technology. She is also credited for her successful federal advocacy efforts as part of a multi-agency team that resulted in $30 million to NC for the Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN). Mitchell said, "Jeanne has my highest recommendation. Jeanne has done a truly extraordinary job representing the Courts [as Deputy Director] before the General Assembly. She has been able to convince the legislature to increase the funding substantially for the courts, both with regard to personnel and equipment ... I recognize that there are few truly outstanding people and they are always in great demand."
She was the North Carolina recipient of the Henry Toll Fellowship in April 1997 and was nominated by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall
and Chief Justice Burley Mitchell
. The fellowship is offered through the Council of State Governments
to 40 emerging state leaders across the country each year. Bonds was chosen for serving in a statewide Courts leadership position and in a local elected position.
During her tenure on the Council, Bonds was active on the Finance Committee, Public Works Committee, Nominating Committee and Transportation Advisory Committee, CAMPO. Bonds was elected by her peers to the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors and served on the Finance Committee; Vice Chair, Policy Committee; and the Nominating Committee. She served on the Triangle J Council of Governments
, Board of Directors; the Wake County Growth Management Commission; the Board of United Arts Council of Wake County and, was the liaison to the Chamber of Commerce throughout her time on the Council. She is a member of the Junior League of Raleigh. She created and led the first Economic Development Committee in Knightdale with another former Mayor, Billy Wilder, and they held an Economic Development Forum, "All Highways Lead to Knightdale." (See Raleigh News and Observer, December 23, 2003, "Panel Looking to Lure Jobs.") Bonds and Wilder also led an effort to assist Colerain
, a small town in Northeastern North Carolina
in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel
by sending public safety personnel and holding a fundraising event for relief efforts. (See Raleigh News and Observer, September 27, 2003, "Aid Came Like 'Angels Descending Upon Us'.") There was a ceremony for Bonds when she retired from her local government role.
In the early 1990s, Bonds worked at the NC Rural Economic Development Center with Billy Ray Hall, President, and Gov. Robert W. Scott
who had served on the Board of Directors and was serving as a Visiting Fellow.
Bonds has been a federal and state lobbyist; strategic communications and community relations professional; development professional; and economic developer for more than twenty years. She has also been a campaign adviser to candidates for office and has authored speeches for government officials and executives. She began lobbying Congress in 1985 at the age of 22 and was featured on the front page of USA Today in 1986 for her efforts on the 1986 Tax Reform Act on behalf of small oil and gas producers.
for District 39, a vacancy created when Linda Coleman resigned for a role in the Perdue Administration). This was not the first time high-ranking Democrats have floated her name for a slot in the House. Earlier, Senator Dan Blue floated her name for the office. She did not seek the appointment but her campaign committee and many State employees asked her to run in the May 2010 Primary Election.
Bonds, a former State employee, received the endorsement of the State Employees Association of NC in March. Bonds lost the Primary Election.
Knightdale, North Carolina
Knightdale is a town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,958 at the 2000 census, and estimated at 9,843 in January 2008. With the population boom experienced in the North Carolina Research Triangle area in the past two decades,...
. She was first appointed to the Town Council in 1994. She was elected Mayor Pro Tem in 1995, elected by the citizens in 1995 (top vote getter); re-elected in 1999 (top vote getter); and appointed Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in 2002 upon the election of Joe Bryan to the Wake County Board of Commissioners
Wake County Board of Commissioners
The Wake County Board of Commissioners are a seven-member governing board for Wake County, which includes the City of Raleigh. They elected at-large to serve four-year terms. Terms are staggered so that, every two years, three or four Commissioners are up for election...
.
Early life and family
Bonds is a native of Wilmington, North CarolinaWilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, born in 1962 (14 November). She graduated from John T. Hoggard High School
John T. Hoggard High School
John T. Hoggard High School is a public high school in the New Hanover County School System in Wilmington, North Carolina.-The Naming of the Highschool:Dr. John T. Hoggard is the eponym for Hoggard High School. Dr...
in 1981. Bonds is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, where she earned a degree in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and a graduate degree in Public Administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
. She is an alumna of the Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
sorority (See List of Kappa Alpha Theta sisters). She is married to Robert Alexander Bonds III, of Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, a graduate of the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
and North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
(MBA). Robert Bonds' grandfather, Robert A. Bonds, Sr. served in the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
and his grandmother, Annie Hastings Bonds, also served in the same House seat when her husband died. Robert A. Bonds, Jr. was a judge in Natchez.
Career
While serving on the Knightdale Town Council, she was Deputy Director of the NC Administrative Office of the Courts, where she worked with NC Chief Justice Burley MitchellBurley Mitchell
Burley Mitchell, Jr. is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. At age 15, Mitchell dropped out of high school to join the United States Marine Corps, only to be kicked out when his age was discovered...
. As Deputy Director of the state Administrative Office of the Courts and special assistant to Chief Justice Mitchell, Bonds was able to convince state lawmakers to increase funding to the judiciary for more personnel and technology. She is also credited for her successful federal advocacy efforts as part of a multi-agency team that resulted in $30 million to NC for the Criminal Justice Information Network (CJIN). Mitchell said, "Jeanne has my highest recommendation. Jeanne has done a truly extraordinary job representing the Courts [as Deputy Director] before the General Assembly. She has been able to convince the legislature to increase the funding substantially for the courts, both with regard to personnel and equipment ... I recognize that there are few truly outstanding people and they are always in great demand."
She was the North Carolina recipient of the Henry Toll Fellowship in April 1997 and was nominated by Secretary of State Elaine Marshall
Elaine Marshall
Elaine F. Marshall is the current North Carolina Secretary of State; she is the first woman to be elected to that office and the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina. Marshall was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate seat currently held by...
and Chief Justice Burley Mitchell
Burley Mitchell
Burley Mitchell, Jr. is an American jurist and former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. At age 15, Mitchell dropped out of high school to join the United States Marine Corps, only to be kicked out when his age was discovered...
. The fellowship is offered through the Council of State Governments
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
to 40 emerging state leaders across the country each year. Bonds was chosen for serving in a statewide Courts leadership position and in a local elected position.
During her tenure on the Council, Bonds was active on the Finance Committee, Public Works Committee, Nominating Committee and Transportation Advisory Committee, CAMPO. Bonds was elected by her peers to the North Carolina League of Municipalities Board of Directors and served on the Finance Committee; Vice Chair, Policy Committee; and the Nominating Committee. She served on the Triangle J Council of Governments
Triangle J Council of Governments
The Triangle J Council of Governments is one of the 17 regional North Carolina Councils of Governments established by the North Carolina General Assembly for the purpose of regional planning and administration...
, Board of Directors; the Wake County Growth Management Commission; the Board of United Arts Council of Wake County and, was the liaison to the Chamber of Commerce throughout her time on the Council. She is a member of the Junior League of Raleigh. She created and led the first Economic Development Committee in Knightdale with another former Mayor, Billy Wilder, and they held an Economic Development Forum, "All Highways Lead to Knightdale." (See Raleigh News and Observer, December 23, 2003, "Panel Looking to Lure Jobs.") Bonds and Wilder also led an effort to assist Colerain
Colerain, North Carolina
Colerain is a town in Bertie County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 201 at the 2008 census.-Geography:Colerain is located at ....
, a small town in Northeastern North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel
Hurricane Isabel was the costliest and deadliest hurricane in the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. The ninth named storm, fifth hurricane, and second major hurricane of the season, Isabel formed near the Cape Verde Islands from a tropical wave on September 6 in the tropical Atlantic Ocean...
by sending public safety personnel and holding a fundraising event for relief efforts. (See Raleigh News and Observer, September 27, 2003, "Aid Came Like 'Angels Descending Upon Us'.") There was a ceremony for Bonds when she retired from her local government role.
In the early 1990s, Bonds worked at the NC Rural Economic Development Center with Billy Ray Hall, President, and Gov. Robert W. Scott
Robert W. Scott
Robert Walter "Bob" Scott was the 67th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1969 to 1973. He was born in Haw River, North Carolina.The son of North Carolina Governor W...
who had served on the Board of Directors and was serving as a Visiting Fellow.
Bonds has been a federal and state lobbyist; strategic communications and community relations professional; development professional; and economic developer for more than twenty years. She has also been a campaign adviser to candidates for office and has authored speeches for government officials and executives. She began lobbying Congress in 1985 at the age of 22 and was featured on the front page of USA Today in 1986 for her efforts on the 1986 Tax Reform Act on behalf of small oil and gas producers.
2010 election
On January 9, 2009 Bob Geary suggested on the IndyWeekBlogs that Mayor Bonds might be a possible appointee to the North Carolina House of RepresentativesNorth Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
for District 39, a vacancy created when Linda Coleman resigned for a role in the Perdue Administration). This was not the first time high-ranking Democrats have floated her name for a slot in the House. Earlier, Senator Dan Blue floated her name for the office. She did not seek the appointment but her campaign committee and many State employees asked her to run in the May 2010 Primary Election.
Bonds, a former State employee, received the endorsement of the State Employees Association of NC in March. Bonds lost the Primary Election.
Other activities
Bonds writes columns for several newspapers and appears on the popular NC Spin weekly public affairs TV program.External links
- Jeanne Milliken Bonds
- Bonds campaign site
- Knightdale NC
- Triangle Business Journal, Jeanne Bonds, Lobbyist
- Toll Fellows Alumni, Council of State Governments
- http://www.csg.org/pubs/Documents/Toll%20Alumni%20directory%20-%20by%20state.pdf
- http://www.ci.knightdale.nc.us/pdf/mayorandcouncil/towncouncilminutes/2003/10-15-2003.pdf
- [ftp://ftp.tjcog.org/pub/tjcog/ccapr2003.pdf]
- Chief Justice recognizes Jeanne Bonds
- Chief Justice retires
- Knightdale Council Presentation to Mayor Bonds
- John T Hoggard High School, Wilmington, NC Jeanne Milliken Bonds
- http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/public/aoc/pr/cjin2.html