On Friday, May 5, 2023, FBI Director Christopher Wray presented Bridgeport's Mark Bonamico with the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) for his service to the people of North Central West Virginia. Bonamico was nominated by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, for demonstrating outstanding contributions to the community through his service.

 

The FBI established the DCLA in 1990 to publicly acknowledge the achievements of those working to make a difference in their communities through the promotion of education and the prevention of crime and violence. The FBI’s 56 field offices select the recipients annually for this honor.

 

During today's ceremony, Director Christopher Wray told the recipients: "Like the 38,000 employees of the FBI, you don’t do what you do for fame - and certainly not for fortune. You do it out of kindness, out of compassion for others, out of a hope and a dream for safer communities....to leave your towns and cities better places than when you got there.  And that’s how I’ve defined success here within our organization, too. Success to me is if everyone leaves the FBI a better place than they found it."

 

Bonamico has been instrumental in the growth and development of North Central West Virginia, providing guidance and labor to area projects for over 40 years in multiple capacities. As a founding member and past president of the Associated Businesses of Bridgeport, Mr. Bonamico continues to serve by coordinating the community’s largest events to promote the rapport between small businesses and state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies.

 

As a man of great faith, Bonamico is a founding member and current president of the Men’s Society with Immaculate Conception Parish, a member of the Immaculate Conception Finance Committee, a lector and Eucharistic Minister, a Diocesan Vicariate Pastoral Council Representative, and is a key community member and provider for the St. Mary’s and Notre Dame Private K-12 Schools for the past three years.

 

With the support of his loving family, Bonamico co-founded the non-profit organization Expressions of Love to assist cancer patients, the critically ill, and those in need of financial services. Mr. Bonamico exemplifies the program’s mission to help those in the community whose needs outweigh their resources.

 

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Director’s Community Leadership Award," said Bonamico. The work my wife and I do is done out of a sense of service to others. We were encouraged from a young age to give back to the three most important areas in our lives – our God, our family, and our community. This award is a reminder that our efforts are making a difference, and that together we can create a better world. We rise by lifting others!”

 

Director Wray hosted the 2022 DCLA winners in a special ceremony at FBI Headquarters on May 5th, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in keeping our shared communities safe. These partnerships—as exemplified by the breadth of the work by the DCLA recipients—have led to a host of crime prevention programs that protect the most vulnerable in our communities, educate families and businesses about cyber threats, and work to reduce violent crime in our neighborhoods. Learn more about the Director’s Community Leadership Award program the FBI’s general outreach efforts, and the CJIS Division at https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis.