Victor M. Bonilla Sánchez

AFT Vice President

Víctor Manuel Bonilla Sánchez was born and raised in the town of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. He has a bachelor’s degree in education with a major in Spanish and a master's degree in administrative leadership. When he finished high school, he immediately began his work as a career and technical educator in different schools in San Lorenzo. In all of them, he provided work of excellence and was recognized with the award of Teacher of Excellence from the San Lorenzo School District.

He worked as an educator for 27 years, the same 27 years that he has been a member of the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico. In the 1980s, he began his activities related to the AMPR, becoming president of the local board of San Lorenzo. His activism on behalf of the AMPR has led him to occupy various positions: part-time coordinator, interim director of the Caguas Office, director of the San Lorenzo Cooperative District, deputy executive director, and associate director. He held the position of vice-president of the AMPR from 2010 until Dec. 4, 2020; on Dec. 5, Bonilla was sworn in before the board of directors who ratified his appointment as the 17th president of the AMPR.

His life has not been limited to the classroom and the institution. Bonilla has put his professional talent to serve his community—San Lorenzo and Puerto Rico—through various functions in the social sphere, working as president of the organizing committee of the bicentennial of the San Lorenzo Foundation; he was a member of the municipal Legislature of San Lorenzo for 18 years holding various positions, including legislator, vice president of the Legislature for four years and eight years as president.

He divides his time between his work, his town and his family.