She was reared in Oregon, received her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Portland State University in 1980 and her law degree from New York University School of Law in 1983. She initially practiced in New York City, but returned to Oregon in 1986. Donna has served on the Editorial Board of the Oregon Estate Planning and Administration Newsletter and the boards of the Estate Planning Council of Portland, the Estate Planning Section of the Oregon State Bar, and several charitable organizations.