History and Biography

Donna began painting in 1996, taking grant writing classes during her tenure with the artist co-operative Timberline Gallery in Oakhurst, CA near Yosemite National Park. Taking classes weekly for 4 years with Brumley Gallery Owner, Joan Brumley, at Bass Lake, CA, led to assisting her in organizing Art Workshop Events for many years, including a Mexico trip. As often as possible she regularly participates in Professional Art Workshops from renowned artists including Tom Lynch, Rose Edin, Joseph Bohler, Alvaro Castagnet, Lian Quan Zhen, and most recently Eric Wiegardt and Mel Stabin. I am an active and Signature member of the Arizona Watercolor Association (AWA), where I served on the Executive Board as Exhibition Director and Treasurer. Art has always played a key role in my personal and professional development. It's amazing to have been in the Chamber of Commerce industry for 18 years, (12 years as a CEO) focusing on Tourism and Economic Development and writing grants for Main Street Re-development and the Arts.  Donna served for 3 years as the Finance Director for the Greater Flagstaff Chamber. “Communities grow where Culture and the Arts are strong”. She served on the Executive Board for the Flagstaff Arts Council. She supports the Williams Alliance for the Arts, and she is a Juried Member and past Executive Board Member of the Arizona Alliance for the Arts (AAA). She belongs to the Northern Arizona Watercolor Society and AWA where she actively served on the Board for 4 years with immense pleasure. For the next few years, her time was spent as the President & CEO of the Norton Area Chamber of Commerce and Travel & Tourism. Developing a strong and creative business community in Norton was a huge collaborative effort, and progress and opportunities abound there. She now divides her time between Kansas and Arizona working remotely for the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce as their Business Manager and painting in her studio.  Balancing challenging work with creative outlets serves to bring her closer to a time when she can embrace the arts in a fuller capacity every day. She is taking courses to become certified in Art Therapy and plans to continue grant writing to benefit local organizations and their projects.