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Home / Staff and Leadership / Donna Harris-Aikens
Board Member
Donna Harris-Aikens grew up in the Chesapeake Bay watershed along Virginia’s York River where she developed a deep appreciation for the region’s natural resources and the communities that depend on them. That early connection continues to shape her lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship and community-centered policy.
Donna currently serves as the Associate Secretary for Government & External Affairs at the Delaware Department of Education, where she leads the Department’s external relations strategy, oversees legislative and regulatory engagement, and builds statewide and national partnerships to advance sustained educational outcomes. In this role, she directs policy development and stakeholder coordination aligned with state priorities.
Previously, Donna served in senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Education, including Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Acting Assistant Secretary. She oversaw major policy and budget initiatives, represented the United States on the international OECD Education Policy Committee, and served on the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.
Before her federal service, she spent more than a decade at the National Education Association as Senior Director of Education Policy & Practice. Her earlier career includes policy and advocacy roles at the Service Employees International Union, Advance CTE, and the law firm Dean Blakey & Moskowitz. Her community leadership includes serving as President of the James Madison University Political Science Alumni Board, former Vice Chair of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum Advisory Board, and former Vice Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee.
She holds a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor of Science, cum laude, from James Madison University.
