In this interview, Dr. Moutaz Khouja, professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, reminisces about Bonnie Cone, his friend and neighbor from the College Downs neighborhood in Charlotte. He recalls his first impressions of Ms. Cone at a neighborhood dinner hosted by the previous owner of his house, Dr. Herbert Hechenbleikner, and comments on the modesty, positivity, generosity, and respect for others that Ms. Cone exhibited throughout the years he knew her. He shares some of Bonnie Cone's iconic sayings, recalls her sharing stories about her childhood and days at Duke and in Washington, D.C., and describes her leadership style, her involvement with UNC Charlotte when he first met her in the early 1990s, and her relationships with Chancellor Woodward, Dr. Hechenbleikner, and Dr. Loy Witherspoon. Dr. Khouja also discusses the College Downs neighborhood, his memories of Dr. Hechenbleikner, and his understanding of Bonnie Cone's vision for UNC Charlotte. Other topics include restaurants that Bonnie Cone frequented, her caretakers in her later years, and the College Downs Garden Club.
