Bonnie Shea
Republican of the Week
Bonnie Shea is the Republican "Energizer Bunny" of the Tehachapi Mountains because she just keeps going and going . . . Bonnie became interested in politics when asked by a friend to fill in for an ailing delegate at a California Congress of Republicans convention held in Fresno. Subsequently, she was asked to serve on the board of the Tehachapi Congress of Republicans and she replied, "I don’t know anything about how to run that organization." She was told: "That’s how you learn." She has been learning ever since and her interest has turned to passion.
She served as Regional Director for the California Congress of Republicans for two years and has served as the Regional Vice President, Central Inland, for the last 7 years. After serving as President of the local chapter of the Tehachapi Congress of Republicans for the last 9 years, Bonnie is now a candidate for the office of President of the California Congress of Republicans for the years 2007-2008.
During her 11 years as a Republican volunteer, Bonnie has chaired the Tehachapi Republican Campaign Headquarters, organized candidate fund-raisers, and worked on candidate campaigns. She has been a member of the Tehachapi Republican Women for nine years and sat on the TRWF board for three years. As a further testament to her boundless enthusiasm she is now also a member of the Bakersfield Republican Women.
Bonnie is a retired professional woman who started out as Office Manager for C. A. Potter Construction Co. which specialized in commercial buildings. She became Managing General Partner of a limited partnership, Floraland Associates. LLC., that specialized in industrial buildings. During this time she operated building complexes, purchased and sold industrial land, and worked with the city panning Commission to sub-divide property.
Her husband of 49 years, Dan, always supportive of her Republican activities, died of cancer two years ago. Bonnie enjoys their three grown children who are very supportive and loving. The sunshine in her life is her 16 year old grandson, Scott.
This champion of Eastern Kern County is currently a voting member of the California Republican Party, having been appointed by Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, and she is an elected member of the Kern County Republican Party Central Committee representing the 2nd District. Because of her boundless energy on behalf of the Party we are proud to acknowledge Bonnie Shea as the Republican of the Week.