Bonoff to be Honored, Changes Role at JF&CS

Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) is excited to announce the recipient of the Champion of Inclusion Award is Terri Bonoff. After serving as JF&CS CEO for six years, Bonoff has provided visionary leadership throughout her tenure, including the expansion of services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The JF&CS Champion of Inclusion Award celebrates those who have changed the landscape for individuals with disabilities.

Bonoff is set to transition to a new role at JF&CS in the middle of August when the new CEO, Jay Cranman, starts. Bonoff announced her desire to step back from the CEO position in the spring, having felt that the organization was at an inflection point.

When asked, “Why now?” Bonoff said, “The agency growth demands that the financial sustainability be the No. 1 priority for the coming year. We have assembled a strong stakeholder group of community members to co-create the kind of growth campaign that we believe will inspire philanthropic investment. This mission is so compelling to me that I proposed to the Board, and they accepted that we begin the succession process now and allow me to focus solely on the campaign in partnership with the internal team.

“I will lead the Growth, Innovation and Durability Campaign in partnership with the Board, Jay Cranman, the new CEO, and Amanda La Kier, chief philanthropy and marketing officer, and her team. This agency has grown tremendously in response to community needs. This growth has been accomplished with a lean organization and has stretched agency resources. Preserving and protecting the agency’s ability to lead and respond is the strategic purpose of the campaign. The hope is to raise upwards of $20 million so that JF&CS can be a force of goodwill for future generations.”

Bonoff listed the accomplishments she helped orchestrate since 2019:

1. JF&CS was recognized in 2024 as an Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) Top Workplace. Bonoff focused on talent retention and building a culture that reflects the Jewish values of the mission.

2. Pre-COVID, JF&CS identified a mental health crisis among children, teens, and families. With support from the Board and past presidents, JF&CS launched a campaign, raising more than $4 million and opened the Horwitz-Zusman Child and Family Center. The Frances Bunzl Clinical Services program, which includes the Horwitz-Zusman Center, is a nation-leading practice.

3. JF&CS has become a reputable First Responder in times of crisis for the Jewish community. “We are called on when grief is at its height and the community is under stress,” Bonoff said.

4. JF&CS is a proud partner to all its sister agencies in Jewish Atlanta.

Preserving and protecting the agency’s ability to lead and respond is the strategic purpose of the campaign. The hope is to raise upwards of $20 million so that JF&CS can be a force of goodwill for future generations.

Jon Amsler, immediate past Board Chair of JF&CS, said, “Terri Bonoff took the helm of JF&CS in June of 2019. At the time, we were facing a leadership vacuum and financial challenges and little did we know we were also on the cusp of a global pandemic that would forever change the world. Terri calmed the waters, ably navigated the agency through the pandemic, set a course for smart growth, and expanded our network of philanthropic partners while growing our overall budget and sources of support. Terri is not only an able organizational leader, she is a visionary who converts promises and possibilities to practical realities. She does it with imagination, drive and tenacity. Terri’s gift is knowing not only what is needed now but also anticipating what will be needed in the future.”

Bonoff grew up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Minn., as a third-generation Minnesotan. Bonoff had a 20-year business career that included leadership roles in fashion retail, toy manufacturing (Tonka Toys), and software distribution. She won a State Senate seat in 2005 and served until 2016, leaving office as chair of higher education and workforce development.

Bonoff left the Senate when her husband, Matthew Knopf, joined Delta Air Lines as senior vice president deputy general counsel and moved to Atlanta. She serves on the American Jewish Committee Board, The Alliance Board, and is a trustee at her alma mater, Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

Bonoff concluded, “Leading JF&CS has been an honor of a lifetime.” Bonoff plans to spend more time with friends and family and pursuing travel and adventure.

JF&CS will celebrate the Champion of Inclusion Award to Terri Bonoff at The Tasting Experience on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at the Stave Room. More details will be shared on the event website: thetastingexperience.org.