Bonnie Grabenhofer, Executive Vice President

Bonnie Grabenhofer is a dedicated feminist who balanced a highly successful consulting career with her extensive volunteer work in the women's movement. She has been involved with NOW at the local, state and national levels in numerous capacities, and was elected executive vice president in June 2009.

As a volunteer at the national level, Grabenhofer served in numerous capacities with NOW, including serving as representative to the National NOW Board from the Great Lakes region and on the President's Cabinet, as a local organizer for several national marches, and as a presenter and delegate at many national conferences.

At the state level, Grabenhofer served as president, action vice president, chair of the Illinois NOW Political Action Committee (PAC), as well as chair of the Reproductive Rights Task Force. During her presidency, Illinois NOW introduced reproductive justice legislation and began a successful telemarketing campaign. Grabenhofer was proud to speak at a rally in the state capitol in support of the successful campaign to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.

At the local level, Grabenhofer served three terms as president of DuPage County NOW (IL). In addition, she served as the chapter's action vice president, State Council representative, secretary, and on the Lesbian Rights Task Force. She served as a clinic escort, and, as chair of the Reproductive Rights Task Force, she organized the first pro-choice demonstration in DuPage County.

Grabenhofer led pro-choice support for the fiercely contested opening of the Aurora Women's Health Clinic, generating significant media and earning her recognition in the Beacon News as a "Face of 2007." In addition, Grabenhofer used her organizing expertise in many elections, including campaigning for Hillary Clinton for president in four states and working on Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun's historic campaign to become the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Senate.

Prior to her election as a national NOW officer, Grabenhofer was a principal in Partners In Learning, Inc., and has over 20 years of experience in instructional design, project management, and performance improvement consulting. She designed a wide variety of instructional programs as well as processes and tools to improve job performance and achieve desired business results. She shared her professional expertise by publishing articles in professional journals and presenting workshops at meetings and conferences. Grabenhofer holds a master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education and is a Certified Performance Technologist.

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