Name: Donna K.
Position: Senior Director of CEC Portfolio Management and Operational Excellence
Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Dream destination: I love our Autograph Collection, so I might try to visit them all!
Drink or treat of choice: A classic banana split with root beer (in a bottle). Even better if I can have a side of French fries or potato chips to make it a combo meal!
As a young military spouse, Donna often had to relocate — and, as such, find new work. So, as she was first starting her career, Donna came up with a creative strategy to help her find her next place of employment.
“Every time we relocated, I would look for the largest building and that turned out to be a smart move,” Donna remembers. “Each Fortune 100 company would then hire me as a consultant in various ‘People, Process, and Technology’ disciplines.”
This expertise also proved to be particularly helpful years later when Donna became a parent of children with disabilities. “This wide-varied skill set made it so I could zoom in and out of the career lane fast.”
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In 2014, Donna was running her own consulting business when she was contracted by a boutique consulting firm that assigned her the Marriott account. And as the story goes, the rest is history.
“I fell in love with our Marriott culture!” she says. “People first! It’s like being part of a small family on a giant scale.”
Her contracts with Marriott kept getting extended until 2022, when she became a full-time associate. Today, Donna is the Senior Director of what we call CEC Portfolio Management and Operational Excellence. What that means is that Donna is responsible for the alignment, development, and execution of Marriott’s Customer Engagement Centers (CEC) strategic plan, overseeing our 22 centers and thousands of stakeholders all over the world.
As a Marriott culture fan but mostly as a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, and friend of many people with invisible disabilities, today Donna is also proud and excited to have become co-chair of Marriott’s just launched People with Disabilities Associate Resource Group (ARG).
From advice on career goals to tips on how to bring more inclusivity to the workspace, here’s what Donna wants you to know about her Marriott story in her own words.
Tell us about why you became involved in the People with Disabilities ARG.
I am honored to serve as a Co-chair for the People with Disabilities ARG. I don’t have a disability myself and I know I have a lot to learn. My family spent many years at Children’s Hospital appointments with my 22-year-old daughter. I remember when she was approaching 18 and the doctors started talking about her “graduating” into adulthood. Everyone cried about her leaving the security of that environment—even the doctors! Now, for my almost 18-year-old son, we are navigating his transition into adulthood too. In a quiet moment in the car, he recently said this to me: “Mom, will you tell your work people that people just don’t want to be treated like they are different?” His simple message is humbling to me and helps me remember to start by seeking to understand.
What advice would you give to other individuals with disabilities who are pursuing their career goals?
This is a tricky question, because I do not have a disability myself. From my background as an HR Professional and just someone who tries to be a good human, I hope I see people’s abilities when we are talking about career goals.
As it relates to disabilities, my frame of reference is as a Special Education Parent because two of my children needed extensive accommodations. I was a fierce advocate for my kids’ needs and the needs of the other children with disabilities in our community.
I would frame the conversation around each child as an individual with strengths and interests and achievements to celebrate! Then we would get into needs and accommodations. My daughter would insist that her brother had ‘special abilities’ and people who didn’t take the time to get to know him were the ones missing out. I can only imagine that must be what it’s like for a person with a disability.
How can coworkers and leaders at Marriott help foster a more inclusive environment for people with disabilities?
I love that our ARG is titled People with Disabilities, because it literally has ‘People’ first! I believe words matter a lot and I think we can foster a more inclusive environment by starting there. We’re talking about fostering a more inclusive environment for PEOPLE with disabilities. Let’s not forget to celebrate everyone’s unique strengths and abilities!
What are some common misconceptions about disabilities that you’d like to address or dispel?
My loved ones live with invisible disabilities including Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Debilitating Anxiety, Depression, Autism, ADD, ADHD, Keratoconus, Severe Allergies, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, and related diagnoses. I’d like to dispel a couple misconceptions:
- Movies portray people with Schizophrenia as being violent. Not true: my father is so gentle!
- Movies portray people with a neurodiversity as being dumb. Not true: my son is incredibly intelligent!
When have you felt like a part of a community at Marriott?
I have always felt like a part of a community at Marriott, even when I was here as an external consultant. Some of my more vivid memories are when I was serving as the facilitator of a large CEC event year over year. Imagine about 75 leaders from all around the world gathered at a Marriott hotel in a ballroom setting. I was the one with the clipboard and microphone keeping the event on track. And, before and after hours, there were team building activities (like sledding in the snow), self-care opportunities (like yoga and trail walks), community volunteer opportunities, etc. As a consultant, I would always find a way to get out of the way and go work on “the work”, but every single time without fail, the team and the executive would hunt me down and insist that I join the group.
I have sneakers, sunglasses, travel gear, event photos, and even wedding photos (my wedding) with my Marriott friends. I know without a doubt that I am part of a community at Marriott, and that is how I came to be here as an employee now.
What’s been the proudest moment of your career?
I was asked this question when I was applying for my Master Black Belt certification many years ago, and I shared the story of how I created my Lean preschool. My answer has not changed all these years later, and my kids are all grown now!
As I mentioned, I was a military spouse, my career was in the fast lane while I was trying to move into the slow lane, and I had young children who we later discovered had disabilities. Managing the demands of childcare for three young kids, frequent travel for my job, my continuing education, and more was too much to do all at once. Being certified in Lean Six Sigma means I’m a professional problem solver by trade, so I put those skills into action. I made a problem statement and came to the conclusion that creating a preschool on the side was the best solution!
My preschool was a volunteer cooperative that united families in the community to join together and help each other. The kids made friends, the parents made friends, and an entire community came together surrounding a common cause for years!
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