Bonnie Stewart loves to talk.
And talking on behalf of Connecticut industry is what more than 10,000 businesses pay her to do.
Stewart is vice president of government affairs for Connecticut Business & Industry Association, the state’s largest business organization. She lobbies members of the Connecticut General Assembly to pass business-friendly legislation.
“I was entranced by the thought of combining my law degree with talking to people,” said Stewart. “It gave me the opportunity to use my inability to be quiet in a good way.”
Stewart joined CBIA as a lobbyist in 1998. She spent her first 10 years focusing on labor issues, such as wage and hourly compensation, and workers compensation. She since switched her focus, confronting tax issues, such as corporate tax policy and sales tax policy.
“Bonnie is a tenacious and competitive lobbyist,” said State. Sen. Gary LeBeau (D-East Hartford). “She is completely committed to her cause regardless of what she is working on.”
Stewart advocates for all 10,000 members of CBIA, ranging from local corner stores to large companies. Expensive costs and lack of transportation infrastructure throughout the state represent a big concern among CBIA companies, said Stewart.
“I am responsible for looking at all different types of business tax, and making sure all adoptions are made to be understandable and consistent,” said Stewart. “I look at tax policies and see how they impact businesses, and how they make a difference in terms of the state’s competitiveness.”
Stewart prefers interacting with people rather than reading a plain statute.
“Whether I’m visiting a manufacturing facility, participating in a staff meeting, or checking a business for correct permits, I am enjoying what I am doing,” said Stewart. “Issues that continuously face lobbyists allow us to learn a lot.”
Stewart graduated from University of Connecticut with a degree in human development and family relations, intending to be a social worker. While at UConn, she participated in an urban studies program, living in Hartford for a semester and working at Neighborhood Legal Services on Albany Avenue.
“I had amazing mentors, attorneys, and social workers who brought me into cases to work with clients,” said Stewart. “It was an incredible program, but I found it was too difficult to go home at night and forget about the emotional cases I was involved in during the day.”
Stewart was exposed to different things, and knew she was interested in advocacy. She went on to law school at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H. and interned at the Connecticut Attorney General’s office. While interning, Stewart was recommended for an opening at CBIA.
When Stewart is away from her job, she spends time with her husband, Alberto, of 25 years, and her two children, Amanda, 15, and Alex, 20. They live in Colchester, and are avid travelers. They have visited all 50 states, along with many travels throughout European countries.
“I’ve been all over the world, but I have to say the national parks here in this country are remarkable,” said Stewart. “They are incredible places to visit, and I strongly recommend them to anyone who hasn’t been.”
Stewart was born in Westerly, R.I. at the closest hospital to her hometown of Stonington. Growing up, her father was the town chairman for the Democrats in North Stonington, where he helped identify candidates for various offices in town.
“As a child growing up in a home where parents were active in politics, I was more on the outside looking in,” said Stewart. “Although it was interesting, I never paid attention to the details, as I had so much else going on in my own life at the time.”
When Stewart was 18 years old, she served as the town moderator when the original participant failed to show up for the test. Stewart took the test, by her mother’s command, and wound up serving as the town moderator, monitoring the election polls and corresponding with politicians.
“When I was moderator, I had to pay attention to the details that I neglected prior to that,” said Stewart. “It gave me a different perspective of the importance of being involved in politics.”
