Ms. Willisa Donald is the Director of Office of Equal Rights for the Federal Emergency Management Administration. Her primary responsibility is providing agency-wide leadership and guidance on equal opportunity, diversity, civil rights, and the support of an efficient work environment.
She began her federal career in 1991 at the Department of Transportation as a Junior Fellow GS-2, Equal Opportunity trainee and worked closely with the Complaints Manager and the Affirmative Employment Manager. After graduating from college, she became an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Specialist and wrote and implemented EEO regulations and policy guidance documents. She provided EEO training for employees, managers, federal officials, as well as state and local government representatives.
Ms. Donald has served as a Special Emphasis Program Manager, Affirmative Employment Program Manager and as a Disability Program Manager. She was nominated in 1998 by the Secretary of the Department of Transportation for her efforts in the Adarand vs. Pena Supreme Court case. In 1999, she was honored by then President William J. Clinton.
While overseas, she volunteered and established several Diversity awareness programs for the naval base in Gricignano, Italy. Ms. Donald has administered the Disability Program at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where she finalized the agency’s Reasonable Accommodation Procedures. While at the IRS as Acting Director of the Service - wide EEO and Diversity Office, she led and completed the Agency’s Management Directive 715 for over 100,000 employees.
In 2009 Ms. Donald joined the Department of Defense as the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Programs Office for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) at Fort Belvoir, VA. Safeguarding America and its allies from weapons of mass destruction. Ms. Donald’s leadership and vision resulted in the establishment of a number of initiatives to address the low participation rate of Women, Hispanics, and Individuals with Disabilities. She was known for brokering meaningful partnerships within offices internal and external to the DTRA. She hosted annual Diversity training for Senior Executive Service members and the workforce to ensure awareness and employee engagement. She participated in the Agency/Center Mentorship program an outstanding trainer for the EEO for Supervisors and Managers course, in which she developed.
Ms. Donald was presented with the 2015 National Association for the Advancement of Color People (NAACP) honorary Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award for her outstanding contributions in Military Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion polices and promoting Civil Rights for Department of Defense military and civilian personnel.
She has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma.
She serves as a subject matter expert on several Federal Agency Consortium boards and EEO affiliate organizations throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area.