Since moving to make Barrie ‘home’ in 1971, Donna has taken her heart, her head and her talent into this community on many levels. Her early work included the building of an independent newspaper as a leading news voice in this community. When her first child was born in 1978, Donna decided to start her own business, to juggle full time parenthood with development of a successful writing and newsletter publication business. Writing for business, magazines, newspapers; teaching communications at Georgian College; buying with a partner a teenage magazine, Donna’s professional life blended with her ‘mom’ life and her ‘community commitment’ life.

Donna believes in community. She prefers to play a role in the ‘founding’ of things. To that end, she has put her energy into founding: Information Barrie, Barrie Business Women’s Council, Prince of Wales School Council, Children’s Aid Foundation.

She prefers to use her creativity for ideas, and so put her energy into the Marketing and Branding of Victoria Village, the capital campaign at Grove Park Home, Barrie Public Library, Gryphon Theatre. She’s used her community-wide contacts to add muscle to Christmas Cheer, Barrie Humane Society, United Way, Heart & Stroke, Crisis Centre, Barrie Y campaigns. She has volunteered her speaking messages to literally hundreds of students, unemployed hopeful people, business owners in this community. She regularly meets with people to help them discover the core business activities that will make them successful.

For the past 15 years, Donna’s substantial energy has centred on the dreams of hundreds of people with business ideas. She has developed a program that teaches people how to start and grow their businesses. She takes her belief in the basic goodness of people, combines it with their creativity and energy and has helped over 1,200 people make their business dreams a reality.

Donna believes that at least 20% of her time should be devoted to her community. Today she maintains that commitment, enjoys the adulthoods of her three children, and the laughter of her two grand-daughters. Her business programs, her volunteer work, her neighbourhood and her family… that’s Donna.