Sharon Bonney is the CEO of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), the leading national organization representing the field of adult education in the United States. Under her leadership, COABE has grown from 1,300 members in 2009 to more than 100,000 members across 2,384 local programs, collectively serving approximately 3.2 million learners nationwide.

Ms. Bonney has overseen the development of the world’s largest adult education conference and built strategic partnerships with more than 100 national, state, and workforce organizations. She has led multiple award-winning initiatives that have elevated the visibility and impact of adult education, including the Educate and Elevate public awareness campaign, which generated more than 250,000 contacts with policymakers and significantly increased national awareness of the field.

She also spearheaded the Move Ahead With Adult Ed campaign, designed to support enrollment recovery following pandemic-related declines, resulting in increased learner engagement and expanded program reach across the country.

Through visionary leadership, coalition-building, and innovative national initiatives, Ms. Bonney has helped position adult education as a critical component of the nation’s workforce development system and economic mobility pipeline.