Donna Reese-Campaign Director
How Donna chose politics
Donna was never interested in politics, but when she bought her first business and realized elected officials' impact on businesses, she dove in. She joined a local group called "the Young Republicans" and volunteered on her first campaign against a career Senator she didn't think was doing the job.
While volunteering in politics, she was the working owner of General Exterminating and The Cookie Mug. Her business connections would become important as her involvement in politics grew. Donna also volunteered for nonprofits such as The City Mission and Erie Homes for Children and Adults. Not that running two businesses, volunteering for nonprofits, and politics wasn't enough - Donna was doing what she loved the most: raising two sons.
After many years of involvement in politics, she was asked to run for her first office by a former elected official. She won overwhelmingly in the primary, but lost to the incumbent in the general election. She didn't let that get her down. Two years later her school district was going through very public controversary. Several people ran to unseat those that caused the controversy and Donna was successful in winning the number one position on both the Republican and Democrat ballots since she was cross-filed. She served for four years, and through MUCH controversy she ran for re-election while being treated for medical issues in Florida, and won.
Upon her return from Florida, even in spite of being very ill, she ran her first official campaign for a first time candidate running for the PA House of Representatives. Her candidate won overwhelmingly in both the primary and general election. That was the start of her love for helping others to get elected. She had the honor of being hired as the Trump Force Election Integrity Director for Erie County which lead t o special projects with the Republican National Committee.
Donna has a long history of attacking challenges head on. Once she sets her mind to something, she won't back down, nor let her foot off the gas. She sold her businesses and retired to Florida but couldn't sit idle. She wrote her first book, "Don't Tell Me I Can't", then became a best-selling author as a contributing author to Voices of the 21st Century (volumes 1 and 2). She returned to Erie after being challenged with a terminal illness. She continued her work in politics as she waited for a double lung transplant, just another challenge that she fought head-on. If you ask her what she thinks to be her greatest achievement, she will be quick to answer, raising her sons Ryan and Shane. A few words to describe Donna is; tenacious, determined, focused, strategic, passionate, motivated and competitor. Once Donna sets her mind to something, she can't be stopped! Isn't that you want in an advisor?
