Meet Sharon Bonney

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sharon Bonney. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sharon below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sharon with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

Growing up, my parents taught us to work our hardest at whatever task we were given and whatever job we held. They were famous for saying, “if you are the janitor, be the best janitor you can be for the company that hires you.” They modeled hard work and dedication to our family as well.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

When I entered the field of adult education, I truly had no idea how transformational this work would be! What I have come to realize is that when adults enter the doors of the more than 2,300 local programs, it is often that hand up and out of poverty that they need. Adult Education serves as a talent pipeline for the workforce and for community colleges. We help adult learners get their high school diploma, learn how to speak the language, upskill and reskill, learn how to use a computer, and provide many wrap around services such as child care and support with transportation.

As the leader of the largest adult education association in the world, I am always looking for ways to raise visibility, increase funding for our field, and bring new resources to our underfunded local programs and state associations. When I see the amazing, life change results that the adult learners experience after attending school, often as single parents balancing multiple jobs and life challenges, my heart swells with pride and it pushes me onward to do more for our field!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

There have been numerous studies to determine what will be the deciding factor on the successfulness of an individual, and repeatedly the resounding factor has been grit- yes grit! Grit and determination supercede all other factors, and that has been my experience as well. Work hard, don’t quit, and work as well as you can with others.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The most important book providing the most impactful and valuable nuggets of wisdom to me has been the Bible. I read the Bible daily, and so many times the advice that I receive from the Good Book is just what I need for a specific situation that I am dealing with that day. I cannot overstate how valuable this has been to me in my journey from layperson to CEO.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://coabe.org/leadership-sharon-bonney/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-bonney-coabe/