Employee Ownership Foundation Leadership

The EOF is governed by an independent national Board of Trustees, eight of whom make up the Foundation’s Executive Committee, the primary decision-making body for the organization. The Board is led by an elected Chairman who serves no more than two consecutive two year terms. The EOF staff is led by a President, who is a non-voting member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

David Fitz-Gerald

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Vice President and CFO

Carris Reels, Inc.

David Fitz-Gerald is Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer of Carris Reels, a manufacturer of packaging for the wire and cable industry. The company is a 100% Silver S-ESOP, headquartered in Vermont with locations throughout North America. Dave has been with the company for over thirty years and played a major role in establishing the ESOP. Carris Reels is a past winner of The ESOP Association’s ESOP Company of the Year Award. For many years, Dave served on the Executive Committee of the State and Regional Chapter Council. He is a past President of the New England Chapter and served as chair of The ESOP Association, 2017-2019. In his spare time, Dave writes historical fiction. His 7th novel, If It’s the Last Thing I Do, features a fictional company transitioning to employee ownership. A summer, 2023 publication date is anticipated. Dave looks forward to spreading the word about ESOPs and employee ownership with his new book and as Chair of the Employee Ownership Foundation.

James J. Bonham

President

James Bonham serves as the President of the Employee Ownership Foundation and the President & CEO of The ESOP Association. He is a recognized expert in public policy, government advocacy, and executive leadership, with more than 25 years of experience as a high level government official, advisor, advocate, and business leader.

Before joining the Foundation, James served for eight years as Chairman of the highly regarded Federal Public Policy and Government Relations practice at Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips, LLP, a nationally recognized law and business consulting firm. In his practice, Bonham advised national trade associations, non-profits, and Fortune 100 businesses.

During more than a decade of public service, he held multiple senior staff positions in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives where he was frequently cited in the media as one of the 50 most influential aides of either political party.

Bonham has served in leadership positions for several non-profits. In addition to the EOF, he is currently serving or has served on the Board of Directors for the California State Society, the National Maritime Heritage Foundation, the Robert T. Matsui Foundation, and Per Scholas.

His passion for shared capitalism springs from a family commitment to employee ownership: His grandfather had a personal and professional relationship with James Cash (J.C.) Penney, based partly on a shared business philosophy. One of their beliefs was granting a form of ownership to employees in the small mercantile businesses they ran. Bonham is proud to carry on today his family tradition of expanding employee ownership.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE