Staff Spotlight: Bonnie Jamieson

Director of Developmental Services

Bonnie Jamieson has a 30-year history with United Counseling Service (UCS), and she now embarks on her newest adventure at the agency as director of developmental services. “I’m feeling really great about this decision because my heart and soul truly belong to developmental services.”

Bonnie worked in customer service at Bennington Cooperative Savings & Loan before taking a position in 1995 at the front desk of UCS. She was happy with her job but wanted more. Bonnie was approached by then Director of Developmental Services Kathy Hamilton with the opportunity to be her assistant at the division’s 335 Dewey Street location, now known as the Estelle Bennett Atwood Center. She took the job and continued to ask for more responsibility.

“I think my lens was always quality improvement,” says Bonnie. “I could always find a way to try to do things better,” she says.

She moved through different positions in developmental services and arrived at intake, which involved helping set up individuals with services. She collaborated with local schools to help children get into services and assisted families who came to UCS looking for help.

“That was a really fulfilling moment in my life, to know that I was helping others,” says Bonnie. “I could relate because I was also a parent of a child with a developmental disability. I could meet them at their level to explain services and acknowledge the feelings they had—being scared of trusting other people—those areas that are very difficult when you’re trying ask for supports for your child because you’re in a time of need.”

Bonnie later left developmental services for the operations team and then served as quality assurance manager before leaving UCS in 2023. Now, she looks forward to serving the clients, families and staff of developmental services once again, this time as director. She wants to make sure that staff feel valued and excited to come to work, and that clients feel supported every day. Bonnie knows that problem solving is a team activity and feels that no one should feel alone or struggling to find a solution.

She also knows the importance of self-care in being the best one can be at work and at home. For Bonnie, self-care looks like cooking for others and enjoying the outdoors.

“The thing that I like about cooking so much is that I like to cook and share,” says Bonnie. “Whatever I cook with love and passion, I like to share with others or share my recipe.” She loves to make different varieties of quiche and soups, and recently got an outdoor pizza oven that she uses year-round. She moves it outside in the warmer months and makes pizza with the garage open in the winter. The ingredients and process are simple, but it takes a lot of practice to get a great pizza. From layering the cornmeal under the dough to making sure the dough is not too warm, every detail is important. Making a ‘flop,’ as she calls it, is part of learning. “You have to move quick, throw it in, and if you don’t—it turns into a calzone.”

Bonnie also gets outside for hikes and walks with her dog, including snowshoeing in the winter. She’s not a self-proclaimed winter person, but snow shoeing is something fun that does at her own pace to enjoy the season.

Bonnie believes that taking care of herself in all aspects of life makes it possible for her to take care of others. One of her goals as she starts her journey leading Developmental Services is to make work-life balance a priority.

“I can’t take care of others, staff or clients, if I’m not taking the time the take care of myself,” says Bonnie. “I want to make sure everyone else feels that way as well so that we can make it a better experience to come to work and feel good about it.”

Simple acts of kindness and joy during the day make a big difference too.

“It’s good to make sure we’re laughing, that we’re having some fun, and taking time to go out and say, ‘how are you doing?’ It’s important.”