Donna Wyant Howell was born in upper state New York and raised in North Carolina, where she earned the rank of valedictorian of an internationally renown prep school run by nuns.

While she was still a student attending Howard University, she worked part-time for the government of the District of Columbia and began freelance editing at the age of 19.

The same day that her graduation ceremonies were held at Howard University, she was hired by FOX television in Washington, DC, where she was assigned to the news department.

“My experience at FOX was certainly exciting. I remember Madu Damania, the producer, shouting 'Get the lead out, people!' as (the now-famous) Maury Povich was feverishly writing copy for the newscast and (the now-famous) Connie Chung, a brand-new reporter, was racing past my desk on the way to cover a flower show. Channel 5 is where I learned to work on several projects simultaneously, perform very well, and finish in minutes instead of hours.”

She left FOX in order to work in the communications department of the executive offices of the Marriott Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland.

“I really enjoyed working at Marriott because I was given so much flexibility and responsibilities. At first, I edited scripts and designed promotional materials. Later, I became the national director of Speak Out, a program for Marriott Hotels. I reported directly to Mr. J.W. Marriott and served as his ghostwriter for that program. He always signed without changing as much as a comma.”

The National Academy of Sciences

Next, Ms. Howell became an editor and production manager at the National Academy of Sciences.

“I credit the Academy with helping me to decide to start my own business by boring me to no end. I edited news releases and provided information to television and radio reporters for their broadcasts. However, I did enjoy coordinating conferences for the broadcast and print media -- and these experiences have greatly aided me in my current endeavors.”

Freelance

She resigned from the NAS in order to began her freelance career in the Washington, DC area. She provided editorial, design, publication, promotional, publicity, and project management services.

Her clients included:

• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• US Government Printing Office (GPO)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Marriott Corporation
• District of Columbia Government
• Howard University
• University of the District of Columbia
• George Washington University
• The Congressional Black Caucus
• US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
  (now renamed)
• US Department of Transportation (DOT)
• DC Metropolitan Police Department
• US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
• (Worked for) Campaign managers and upper-level assistants for President Gerald Ford, President Jimmy Carter, two other US Presidential candidates, two mayors, several members of the Council of the District of Columbia, and two members of county councils in Maryland
• dozens of businesses
• many organizations
• many independent authors

After almost two decades of freelancing, Ms. Howell informed her clients that she no longer would be working for them after one more year. She took that time to find suitable replacements and suggested them to her clients so that she could work solely on her own projects.