Bonnie Ross is the Program Manager for the Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) and Rural Programs. She assists veteran and women entrepreneurs in acquiring the skills and resources necessary for their rural-sector businesses to thrive.

A strong advocate for education as a means of personal empowerment, Bonnie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Castleton University. She has also pursued studies in music, dance, writing, languages, and learning.

Originally from rural upstate New York, Bonnie grew up around farms and spent several summers working on small-scale organic vegetable farms in Vermont and New York. During the COVID pandemic, she realized her desire to support K-12 students as they faced unprecedented challenges. Over the next five and a half years, she provided student support, substitute teaching, literacy coaching, summer camps, music instruction, and developed original enrichment programs in both public and private schools. Before her work in education, Bonnie spent several years in public and college libraries, helping users locate resources and solve tech issues. The common thread throughout her career has been problem-solving and promoting skill development.

Outside of work, Bonnie enjoys long walks in the forest, tuning her musical instruments, teaching music, serving on the board of Burlington Baroque, skiing, reading, creative writing, drawing people, learning languages with her polyglot fiancé Kyle, and exploring new perspectives on life through education. She and Kyle live in the one-square-mile city of Winooski, Vermont, surrounded by endless mountains and a vibrant lake.