Ms. Donovan is a native of Dallas.  At the University of Texas at Austin, she was the first woman elected to serve as President of the Student Body.  During college, she worked in the Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Congressman J.J. (“Jake”) Pickle.  After earning her law degree at Texas Tech School of Law, Ms. Donovan served as a briefing attorney for U.S. District Judge Robert M. Parker before practicing law in Dallas, Texas.

In 2002 and 2003, Ms. Donovan and Vivian Castleberry, the founder of Peacemakers Incorporated, organized training seminars sponsored by the Center for Citizen Initiatives, Inc, for Russian delegations visiting Dallas, Texas, who were interested in nonprofit associations and law.  Ms. Donovan is the founder of the Annual Susan B. Anthony Award Luncheon held in Dallas, and she reactivated the Dallas Women’s Coalition, which she chaired for two years.  Ms. Donovan is active in numerous church and community activities.