Gary Bonnewell

Trustee, Virginia Wesleyan University

Gary Bonnewell is a longtime member of the Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) Board of Trustees and the only alumnus thus far to serve as Board Chair. A licensed investment professional for more than 30 years, Bonnewell serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley and has achieved the firm’s highly coveted Family Wealth Director Designation. He has been named to the Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors every year since 2019. He graduated from VWU in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and also holds a Master of Science in Personal Financial Planning and is a Certified Financial Planner Professional. He was the first recipient of the Alumni Community Service Award and is a member of Sigma Beta Delta and Omicron Delta Kappa from VWU.
   
Bonnewell has remained active at his alma mater, and in addition to Board Chair, is a past president of the Alumni Council and the Blue Marlin Athletic Club. In 2016, the University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. As a student at Virginia Wesleyan, Bonnewell served as vice president of the Student Government Association, athletic trainer, founder of the Monogram Club, and radio host of the college station WVAW.

Bonnewell has also been active in the Coastal Virginia community, serving as president of the Norfolk Jaycees, president of the D’Art Center, chairman of the NATO Festival (formerly the International Azalea Festival), and chairman of the Board of Trustees of Norfolk Collegiate School. Currently he is president of the Norfolk Sister Cities Association, president of Pack Training Team, Lay Leader of Ghent United Methodist, and a board member of The Virginia United Methodist Foundation and the General Douglas MacArthur Foundation. Gary Bonnewell and his wife Deborah live in Norfolk and have two adult children, David and Grace.