Donna Rossi Smithers brings nearly two decades of diverse experience inhuman resources across both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. With a primary focus on nonprofit endeavors, she has excelled in recruiting, retaining, and developing top talent. As a Director with Professionals for Nonprofits in themid-2000s, Donna led executive searches for over 150 nonprofits in the NYC area.

Transitioning her passion towards education, Donna served as the Program Manager for the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School. There, she coached over 500 MBA graduates seeking socially responsible careers. In 2009, Donna joined Success Academy Charter Schools as the Director of Human Resources and Recruitment. During her tenure, she spearheaded recruitment efforts, hiring over 800 teachers and support staff, expanding the network from four to 14 schools. Additionally, Donna managed all talent-related initiatives, including annual performance reviews and leadership development programs.

In 2013, Donna founded Executive Excellence, a talent recruitment and development firm specializing in nonprofit organizations. With a personalized and best-in-class approach to search, leadership coaching, human resource management, she partners with various nonprofits to identify and nurture talent.

Donna holds a Master of Arts from New School University and is a certified coach from Columbia University's Certified Coaching Program.