UNC Clean Tech Speaker
George Bonner
Biography
George Bonner P.E., CFM serves as North Carolina’s Director of Renewable Ocean Energy leading research and development of marine energy solutions. Following retirement from a 30 year career in the U. S. Coast Guard in July 2019, Bonner returned home to his new position at the Coastal Studies Institute on Roanoke Island, NC.
Captain Bonner’s USCG career included command assignments as Commander, USCG Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center and Commanding Officer of USCG Facilities Design and Construction Center. Throughout his career, he has led strategic efforts to enhance infrastructure resiliency and sustainability while adapting to a changing climate. Captain Bonner served on the Steering Committee for the Hampton Roads Inter-Governmental Pilot to adopt a Whole of Government and Community approach to sea level rise challenges.
Captain Bonner graduated from the USCG Academy in 1989 and received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from University of Illinois in 1995. In 2007, he received a Graduate Certificate in Coastal Engineering from Old Dominion University. He is a North Carolina Professional Engineer and a Certified Floodplain Manager. In 2016, he was selected as the American Society of Civil Engineers, Norfolk Branch, Government Engineer of the Year. He is a Past President of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Hampton Roads Post and selected as a SAME National Fellow in 2015.