Donna Defino is an Education Program Specialist with the Effective Educator Development Division. She is a Program Officer for the American History grant programs, and she also works on the teams for the Teach to Lead and School Ambassador Fellowship programs. 

Donna offers 14 years of experience in public education, having served in various roles in both public and public charter school systems in Washington, DC. She began her career in education as a Teach for America 2009 corps member, teaching special education in the District of Columbia Public Schools. She then joined KIPP DC, first as a Director of Student Support and then as a vice-principal. After KPP, she took on an LEA-level role as Director of Student Support for Merician Public Charter School. She joined the United States Department of Education in May of 2022. 

Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame. She also holds several advanced degrees, including a Master of Education in Special Education from George Mason University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Georgetown University.