Bonnie Wright is a long-time New Hampshire resident, dedicated to her family and the greater Salem community. She has been an educator, small business owner and manager, and paralegal secretary.
Committed to fair and sustainable development for Salem, Bonnie was appointed as an Alternate to the Salem Zoning Board of Adjustment in 2014. In 2016, she was elected by Salem voters to serve a 3-year term on that Board, and was re-elected in 2019 and 2022. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, the Board members elected Bonnie as Vice Chair of the ZBA, and in 2020, 2021 and 2022, they chose her as their Chair.
In April 2022, Bonnie was elected by Salem Voters to serve on their new Charter Commission. Out of 35 candidates, Bonnie came in third, with over 38% of the votes, and only fourteen votes behind the top vote earner. The nine people elected to serve on the Commission will study Salem’s form of town government. They will decide if Salem should keep its current government, or adopt a different form of town or city government. The Commission is charged with completing its recommendations by mid-October. If the Commission recommends any changes, it will appear as a Warrant Article in the March election, for the town’s voters to accept or reject. She is very appreciative of the confidence in her ability to serve the Town in this important committee, as shown by Salem Voters.
Bonnie has worked passionately at the state and national level to promote food safety for her town, state, and community. She is committed to researching and understanding the impacts of genetically engineered foods and their associated chemicals, and advocating for the safety of our water and food supply. She is the founder of NH Right to Know GMO, and co-founder of Non-Toxic New Hampshire. She has helped introduce several bills, including a GMO labeling bill and the bipartisan bill, HB399 in 2018, to reduce the use of pesticides where children play. In 2019, she had a hand in the introduction of a bill to protect our pollinators.
Bonnie is a researcher and communicator. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, there was a lot of confusion amongst Salem residents. Since our Town officials weren’t answering our questions, she started to look at the information that was available, compiled it, and shared it with the people of Salem. From April 2020 to June 2021, she provided 440 DAILY reports, before switching to weekly pieces. She became concerned about the accuracy of the information available, so provided her final update, which was number 477, this past February. If you have read those updates, you are familiar with the attention to detail that she put into those articles.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Salem Farmers Market (2014-2015), Bonnie served as Recording Secretary. In April 2017, Bonnie accepted the challenge from the Board, and returned to serve on the Board in the role of Volunteer Coordinator. In October 2017, she was elected to serve as interim President. In May 2018, she was elected as President, a position she held for an additional four years. She gave notice to the other Board members that it was time for new leadership in late 2021, and stepped down from the board in April 2022.
In April 2022, Bonnie was pleased to be invited to join the Board of Directors of Salem Family Resources. She will still continue to quietly work behind the scenes to assist other local nonprofit organizations.
Bonnie began summering in New Hampshire when she was ten years old. She has lived in northern New England since she was 18, and has spent the last 3.5 decades in New Hampshire. She moved from the Lakes Region to southern New Hampshire after her marriage in 2007.
Bonnie and her husband, Wayne, purchased their home in Salem in 2008. Between them, they have raised three children and are proud grandparents of four. Bonnie is committed to leaving the planet a better place for her children and grandchildren, starting with making Salem a healthier, more prosperous community.
Family
- Husband, Wayne, is a Vietnam Vet and a life-long union member until his 2018 retirement.
- Two children, one stepchild, four grandchildren
Background/Education
Vermont College/Norwich University, Lyndon State College, and Lakes Region Community College
- Fine & performing arts, education and business courses
- Graduate with highest honors
- National Honor Society
Experience/Occupation
- As a former teacher, legal secretary, small business owner and manager, Bonnie often worked more than one job at a time.
- Past President, Salem NH Farmers Market (also former Secretary & Volunteer Coordinator)
- Board of Directors, Salem Family Resources (April 2022)
- Founder of NH Right to Know GMO
- Admin of open Facebook group, The Real Salem, NH town page.
- Author of COVID-19 updates. 440 daily updates from April 2020 to June 2021, then weekly to February 2022, for a total of 477 reports/
Elected and appointed offices
Salem Charter Commission
- Elected in April 2022 as one of 9 commissioners, out of a field of 35 candidates.
Salem Zoning Board of Adjustment
- Appointed as an Alternate in 2014
- In a town-wide election, elected as a full member for a 3-year term in March 2016. Re-elected in 2019 and 2022.
- Elected as Vice-Chair by fellow Board members for a 1-year term in March 2017; re-elected in March 2018 and 2019.
- Elected as Chair for a 1-year term in March 2020, and re-elected in 2021 and 2022.
Salem Democratic Town Committee
- Elected as Secretary in 2017. Re-elected for 2019-2021.
Rockingham County Democrats
- Elected as an At-Large Member, Executive Committee 2017. Re-elected in 2019 and 2021.
Personal
- Summered in NH for over 50 years
- NH Resident since 1983
- Purchased home in Salem in 2008
- Reducing carbon footprint with solar panels on our home
- Avid amateur genealogist