“Soaring to greater heights of service” is a key tenet for the work of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the nation’s oldest African American sorority. As a former president of one of the sorority’s four Washington, DC, chapters, it’s also an approach that NOSSCR’s new membership manager, Donna Davis, is excited to bring to her role.

For many NOSSCR members, Donna will be the first person they hear from when having questions related to their membership or events. Having worked at national associations around Washington for nearly 25 years, Donna brings the empathy and experience necessary to provide members with the guidance they need to help resolve their problem.

She recently told the story of her time with the Association of American Medical Colleges. “I had students calling up in tears because they didn’t pass their MCATs or irate parents calling because their child had missed the deadline to register. Working in membership, our job is to be good listeners and provide exceptional customer service, even if we don’t immediately have all the answers they need.”

Donna is a proud Washington native and has spent most of her life in the city. After attending Hampton University in Virginia, she returned to D.C. to earn her business management degree from the University of the District of Columbia. When Xerox—for whom she worked for eight years—offered her an opportunity to move to Tampa, she politely declined, preferring to stay near her family who also lived in the District.

Donna moved to neighboring Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 1997. Although she is a resident of Maryland, she is a D.C. girl at heart. “I love the rich history of the city as well as the sense of family. I attended D.C. public schools and often volunteer to support the students at my alma mater, Eastern Senior High School. I have friends today that I have had since kindergarten.” She and a group of classmates recently took their second grade teacher out to lunch!

When not supporting NOSSCR’s members, you’ll find Donna with a full calendar that oftentimes includes volunteering with her sorority. As a former president, she’s typically on the short list of people to be called when they need more help with an initiative or activity. For those moments when she is at home, you’ll find her diving into crossword puzzles or succumbing to her guilty pleasure, reality TV shows.