Kofi Bonner
Encyclopedia
Kofi S Bonner M. Arch
, MCP, University of California, Berkeley
) is an Ghana
-born American
architect
and planner
who is known for the heading the redevelopment of the city of Emeryville, California
. Mr Bonner was also Director of Economic Development and Interim City Manager
for the City of Oakland, California
. In 1998, Mr. Bonner was hired as Chief Administrative Officer for the Cleveland Browns
Football Organization of the National Football League
. In 2004, Mr. Bonner was hired by MBNA
Credit Card, and then in 2006, he became director of Urban Land for the Lennar Corporation.
, Kofi earned a Master of City Planning and a Master of Architecture
from The University of California at Berkeley in 1987. Mr. Bonner then worked for the housing development company then-known as Fei Tsen and Associates in Oakland and served as a member of the San Francisco city planning group called "SPUR" for San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. In 1988, Mr. Bonner was hired to replace the out-going Steve Kaplan as Redevelopment Director for the City of Emeryville. It was there that Mr. Bonner captured local and national attention with several efforts judged "aggressive" in economic development and planning circles.
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente
was seeking land for a planned new headquarters facility in 1994. While the firm wished to remain in Oakland, finding land for Kaiser's plans proved politically and economically difficult. Observing these developments, Mr. Bonner reportedly openly courted Kaiser land development officials and eventually offered a 14 acres (56,656 m²) plot of land at 41st and San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville as the place where Kaiser could build its new home. The effort drew the ire of Oakland political officials, and a then-new-to-Oakland Jerry Brown
, who famously sued Kaiser for its attempt to leave Oakland, charging the firm with racism. Eventually, Kaiser ended its plans, citing changes in the health care industry as the reason.
The Kaiser affair drew much praise and attention to Mr. Bonner, who continued to negotiate with developers to sell land and attract retailers like iKea
. Mr. Bonner also successfully established a reuse plan for the former Emeryville Judson Steel plant, which is now the Bay Street Shopping Center. And while Kaiser backed away from its plans to build a Northern California headquarters in Emeryville, the Mr. Bonner and the Redevelopment Agency attracted Pixar Animation Studios, which constructed its new home on the same property that was originally slated for Kaiser.
In 1998, Cleveland Browns
President Carmen Policy
offered the position of Chief Administrative Officer of the Cleveland Browns to Mr. Bonner, becoming the first African-American to hold such a title in the NFL. With the Browns, Mr. Bonner was responsible for the construction of the new Cleveland Browns Stadium and spearheaded the creation of the organizations website. Mr. Bonner also sat on the NFL's Internet
Committee.
In 2004, Mr. Bonner was hired to a business development position with MBNA
, the credit card company. Expressing a desire to return to his city planning roots, Mr. Bonner was selected as Director Of Urban Land for The Lennar Corporation in San Francisco, where he currently heads the effort to build a new stadium intended for the San Francisco Forty Niners.
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
, MCP, University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
) is an Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
-born American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and planner
Urban planner
An urban planner or city planner is a professional who works in the field of urban planning/land use planning for the purpose of optimizing the effectiveness of a community's land use and infrastructure. They formulate plans for the development and management of urban and suburban areas, typically...
who is known for the heading the redevelopment of the city of Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
. Mr Bonner was also Director of Economic Development and Interim City Manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
for the City of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
. In 1998, Mr. Bonner was hired as Chief Administrative Officer for the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Football Organization of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. In 2004, Mr. Bonner was hired by MBNA
MBNA
MBNA Corporation was a bank holding company and parent company of wholly owned subsidiary MBNA America Bank, N.A., headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to being acquired by Bank of America in 2006...
Credit Card, and then in 2006, he became director of Urban Land for the Lennar Corporation.
Early life and career
Born in GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Kofi earned a Master of City Planning and a Master of Architecture
Master of Architecture
The Master of Architecture is a professional degree in architecture, qualifying the graduate to move through the various stages of professional accreditation that result in receiving a license.-Overview:...
from The University of California at Berkeley in 1987. Mr. Bonner then worked for the housing development company then-known as Fei Tsen and Associates in Oakland and served as a member of the San Francisco city planning group called "SPUR" for San Francisco Planning and Urban Research. In 1988, Mr. Bonner was hired to replace the out-going Steve Kaplan as Redevelopment Director for the City of Emeryville. It was there that Mr. Bonner captured local and national attention with several efforts judged "aggressive" in economic development and planning circles.
Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield...
was seeking land for a planned new headquarters facility in 1994. While the firm wished to remain in Oakland, finding land for Kaiser's plans proved politically and economically difficult. Observing these developments, Mr. Bonner reportedly openly courted Kaiser land development officials and eventually offered a 14 acres (56,656 m²) plot of land at 41st and San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville as the place where Kaiser could build its new home. The effort drew the ire of Oakland political officials, and a then-new-to-Oakland Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
, who famously sued Kaiser for its attempt to leave Oakland, charging the firm with racism. Eventually, Kaiser ended its plans, citing changes in the health care industry as the reason.
The Kaiser affair drew much praise and attention to Mr. Bonner, who continued to negotiate with developers to sell land and attract retailers like iKea
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
. Mr. Bonner also successfully established a reuse plan for the former Emeryville Judson Steel plant, which is now the Bay Street Shopping Center. And while Kaiser backed away from its plans to build a Northern California headquarters in Emeryville, the Mr. Bonner and the Redevelopment Agency attracted Pixar Animation Studios, which constructed its new home on the same property that was originally slated for Kaiser.
In 1998, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
President Carmen Policy
Carmen Policy
Carmen Policy is an attorney and American football executive who is best known for his front office work for the San Francisco 49ers during the 1980s and 1990s. Policy, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1983 as vice president and counsel...
offered the position of Chief Administrative Officer of the Cleveland Browns to Mr. Bonner, becoming the first African-American to hold such a title in the NFL. With the Browns, Mr. Bonner was responsible for the construction of the new Cleveland Browns Stadium and spearheaded the creation of the organizations website. Mr. Bonner also sat on the NFL's Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
Committee.
In 2004, Mr. Bonner was hired to a business development position with MBNA
MBNA
MBNA Corporation was a bank holding company and parent company of wholly owned subsidiary MBNA America Bank, N.A., headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, prior to being acquired by Bank of America in 2006...
, the credit card company. Expressing a desire to return to his city planning roots, Mr. Bonner was selected as Director Of Urban Land for The Lennar Corporation in San Francisco, where he currently heads the effort to build a new stadium intended for the San Francisco Forty Niners.