BONNIE SUE STARK is one of two paralegal/investigators in the Tallahassee office of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley PA.  She was born in Brooklyn, New York, but grew up in Miami and has lived in Florida most of her life, since 1981 in Tallahassee. Ms. Stark received her A.A. degree from Miami-Dade Community College in 1974.   In 1978, she earned two B.A. degrees from the University of South Florida, majoring in American Literature and American History (post World War II).  In 1985, she completed her Master's Degree in American History at USF.  Her master's thesis covered the influence of the McCarthy era in Florida politics.  It was the subject of an episode of the PBS documentary series "Florida Crossroads," and has been quoted and cited in many historical publications and research papers since.

For 21 years, Ms. Stark worked for a Tallahassee-based defense law firm as a Paralegal and Legal Investigator.  She has been a licensed investigator with the state of Florida for the past 16 years.  She is a member of the Florida Legal Investigators Association, the National Association of Legal Investigators, the Palm Beach County Justice Association, the Big Bend Paralegals Association, and the National Association of Legal Assistants.  In 2008, she became a Florida Registered Paralegal.

Ms. Stark began working for the firm in 2005 and works primarily with attorney James Gustafson, assisting with medical malpractice, crashworthiness and product liability cases arising from defective design and manufacture of vehicles that result in catastrophic personal injuries, and other types of personal injury and death cases.  Ms. Stark brings a strong background in legal investigation and paralegal skills to her job.  Her personal and professional compassion and commitment to helping others, along with her hard work and dedication, have helped many SDSBS clients receive the justice they deserved.  In addition, Ms. Stark is involved with the Leon County Guardian Ad Litem Program and is a frequent volunteer for animal rights causes.