Bonnie Watson Coleman
| Bonnie Watson Coleman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 12th district |
|
|
Assumed office January 3, 2015 |
|
| Preceded by | Rush D. Holt, Jr. |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 15th Legislative District |
|
|
In office January 13, 1998 – January 5, 2015 |
|
| New Jersey General Assembly Majority Leader | |
|
In office January 12, 2006 – January 12, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Joseph J. Roberts |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Cryan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Bonnie Watson February 6, 1945 Camden, New Jersey |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | William Coleman (m. 1995) |
| Residence | Ewing Township, New Jersey |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Website | [1] |
Bonnie Watson Coleman (born February 6, 1945) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 12th congressional district since 2015. She previously served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2015 for the 15th Legislative District. She is the first black woman in Congress from New Jersey.
Watson Coleman received a B.A. from Thomas Edison State College in 1985, and attended Rutgers University. Born in Camden, she currently resides in Ewing Township. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
In 1974, she established the first Office of Civil Rights, Contract Compliance and Affirmative Action, in the New Jersey Department of Transportation and remained the Director of that office for six years. In 1980, Watson Coleman joined the Department of Community Affairs, where she held a number of positions including, Assistant Commissioner, responsible for Aging, Community Resources, Public Guardian and Women Divisions.
She served on the Governing Boards Association of State Colleges from 1987 to 1998 and as its chair from 1991 to 1993. Watson Coleman was a member of the Ewing Township Planning Board from 1996 to 1997. She was a member of Board of Trustees from 1981 to 1998 and was its chair from 1990 to 1991.
In March 2000 Bonnie Watson's sons, William Carter-Watson and Jared Coleman robbed a Kid-R-Us in Lawrence Township with automatic weapons, stealing $1,800 and terrifying employees by forcing them to lie face down on the floor. Both William Carter-Watson and Jared Coleman pleaded guilty to the charges, serving five and a half years in prison.
...
Wikipedia