Bio

Donna attended Cerritos College where she, along with her twin sister, Jeanine, played volleyballlthe only womenns sport offered. She transferred to Long Beach State (CSULB) where she was a member of both the women's volleyball and basketball teams. During her junior year, the volleyball team finished 2nd at the AIAW Volleyball National Championships. The following year, 1973, her team won the University's first national championship with an undefeated season. She earned her BA and MA degrees in Physical Education from CSULB. 

Donna began her coaching career at Cerritos College. In 1977 she was hired full time at Long Beach City College where she coached softball, volleyball, and basketball until 2002. She ranks as the most successful coach of women's teams in two different sportssbasketball and volleyball. During her basketball career (1976-1988) she won over 200 games and won 73 percent of her conference contests. She led her team to seven Conference Championships and was selected Conference Coach of the Year three times. In 1981 she was honored as the State Basketball Coach of the Year. In 1988 her team finished second in the COA (now CCCAA) State Championship.

During her volleyball career (1977-1983 and 1990-2002) she won over 250 matches and 74 percent of her conference contests. Eight of her teams won Conference championships and two of them (1979 & 1996) were undefeated. Donna coached four teams to the CCCAA State Championship, with three of them (1976, 1995, and 2000) finishing as second in the State finals. Twice she was recognized as the Conference Coach of the Year, and in 1996 was honored as the South Coast Conference Women's Coach of the Year (all sports).

She has served her profession as President of the Women's Basketball and Women's Volleyball Coaches Associations. She has coached 8 All- Americans, 15 All-State players, and had more than 50 student-athletes receive scholarships to four-year universities.

Donna was inducted into Long Beach State's 49er Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996, into Long Beach City College's Hall of Champions in 2008, and into the California Community College Women's Volleyball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2012.

Outside of coaching, Donna has been a very accomplished and successful educator at Long Beach City College and Cerritos College. She was awarded the CCCPE award for Adapted Physical Education in 2001 and for Physical Education in 2010.