Bonnie Burr was raised on a dairy farm in Brookfield, CT, and while they no longer milk cows she continues to raise Holstein and Jersey heifers. As a third generation supporter of the Eastern States Exposition, she participated in 4-H and open dairy shows. In her professional capacity, she has served as Secretary of the New England 4-H Dairy Committee. Burr is an ESE Connecticut Trustee and serves as the state's Grants Committee Chair.

In addition to those duties, she is Co-Superintendent of the ESE Dairy Show with Arnold Nieminen. They work with the dairy show breed representatives, as well as the ESE Agriculture and Education office to coordinate national and regional shows for over 750 head of dairy cattle during the Exposition. The motto of the ESE Dairy Office is "We take care of the people who take care of the cows."

Burr has been active in the Connecticut and New England Holstein and Jersey Committees, and serves as Treasurer of the Connecticut Holstein Association and on the New England Holstein Breed Promotion and Youth Committees, and along with Arnold were co-recipients of the NE Holstein Distinguished Service Award. She has been involved with Holstein USA, having served on their Governance Committee and the Animal Identification Committee. She has served as a delegate numerous times to the Holstein Convention.

In 2009 Burr began working for Extension at the UConn College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Prior to that she was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serves as Connecticut/Rhode Island States Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in March 2007 through 2009. Bonnie is a proud member of Connecticut Farm Bureau Association (CFBA) having served as Director of Government Relations from 2000-2007. Burr was the 2006 National Distinguished Alumni Leader of the Young Dairy Leaders Institute, and she also served as the 2005 President of the National Dairy Shrine.