The Lowdown: Terri Bonoff
I Bet You Didn’t Know That … Terri feels a special connect to a Danish politician.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Atlanta is chock full of interesting “movers and shakers” – some bent on creativity, empire building, activism, the sciences, and/or just plain having fun and living the good life. Lean in to hear some of the “off the cuff” remarks as to what makes our spotlight, Terri Bonoff, tick.
Terri grew up in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, a third generation Minnesotan. She had a 20-year business career that included leadership roles in fashion retail, toy manufacturing (Tonka Toys), and software distribution.
Bonoff chose to leave the business world to stay at home with four teenagers. When the three had gone off to college, Terri ran for political office. She won a State Senate seat, serving from 2005-2016, leaving office as Chair of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Terri left the Senate when her husband, Matthew Knopf, joined Delta Air Lines as Senior Vice President Deputy General Counsel and moved to Atlanta.
After leading a project for Purpose Built Schools in partnership with Georgia Tech, Terri joined Jewish Family & Career Services as CEO in June 2019. She continues to lead the non-profit whose mission is to transform lives. Terri serves on the Alliance Theatre Board and is a trustee at her alma mater, Clark University, Worcester, Mass.
Read on to see how Terri’s life parallels that of a Danish politician.
One fun thing people don’t know about me is …
I was a coxswain on the women’s crew team in college.
My kids would say …
Stay in your own lane Mom!
You will not find me …
Complaining about the Atlanta heat.
Atlanta vs. Minneapolis?
Minneapolis and Atlanta are so very different! Atlanta has come through the pandemic stronger. I have loved Minneapolis, and I now love Atlanta! We have found it to be welcoming and truly a home.
I’m streaming and reading …
Streaming the original “Sex and The City” because it’s the perfect summer escape and reading whatever my book club chooses! Just finished “James” by Percival Everett.
If they made a movie of my life ________ would portray me.
I wrote a book after leaving office called, “Uniting the Middle.” My sons are in the entertainment business, and I’m encouraging them to do something with it! The Netflix series, “Borgen,” resonated with me as the story of Birgitte Nyborg, a Danish politician who faced many challenges as a result of her centrist ideology and leading as a woman.
I would look back and tell a 21-year-old Terri …
Trust the path—it’s all turning out the way it’s supposed to. You are going to have a great life!
My husband would say I get silly when …
I’m partying with my family and closest friends, and we start dancing.
The most important thing about running a nonprofit is …
Because JF&CS is faith-based and strongly supported by the generous philanthropic Jewish community, I hold as sacred the importance of keeping our promise to the community. The challenge is to both fulfill the mission and maintain financial sustainability.
Most exotic vacation …
Matthew and I love to explore the wonderful cities and countryside of Europe. Staying in a boutique hotel on the waterway in Venice felt romantically exotic to me. Truthfully, because we have kids and grandkids far flung, most of our travel is being with them.
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