How Do You LIVE UNITED!

Robert S. Bonney, Jr. is the newly named Chair of the Board of Directors for United Way of Monmouth County.  He has served as a member of the Board since 1998, working diligently on the Executive Committee and Governance Committee, and serving as co-chair of the Golf Committee for many years.  Bob is a Partner in the Litigation Department of Lomurro, Davison, Eastman & Muñoz, where he has worked for seven years.

How long have you been supporting the United Way of Monmouth County?
Like most volunteers, I started working with a United Way committee back in the 1990s.  My desire to help and my passion for golf made working on the Golf Committee a pleasure.  Eventually, I was asked to serve on the Board by then chairman, Bob Davis, and have been serving ever since.

With all the choices in giving, what drew you to the United Way?
I have served on Boards of other charities for specific causes, but what appealed to me about United Way was the broader array of needs it sought to address in our own county.

What would you say is one or a few of the more compelling reasons to support the United Way?
Monmouth County is where we live – it is our community. While other charities address specific needs, perhaps national in scope, United Way of Monmouth County addresses a broader array of challenges facing those in need right here, in one of the most affluent counties in the state.  The fundamental components for a productive life are Education, Income and Health.  United Way is focusing on all three of these elements not only with financial grants, but also by playing the indispensable strategic role of harnessing the work of numerous single-interest charities into a collaborative effort to more effectively provide these fundamental elements to those in need.

What do you hope to see happen during your tenure, and what are you most excited about?
I would like to see United Way’s new focus on the fundamental elements of Education, Income and Health take hold with the citizens of Monmouth County, so they feel they have a stake in developing productive lives in their community and will invest in it.  I am most excited about working with our outstanding Board Members and the United Way staff.  Together, they make the organization creative and responsive.

Of the three impact areas of Education, Income and Health, which one speaks to you the most and why?
Education, because it holds the greatest potential to create Income and Health.  Monmouth County has within its borders schools that are among the highest rated in the nation and schools that are struggling to improve graduation rates. The challenge for United Way and the citizens of this county is to close the gap between those students attending our county’s schools.

What does it mean to you to “Live United”?
“Live United” means understanding the value of “community” and accepting the responsibility to support it.