Donna Powers (she/her/hers) is a Staff Advocate and Investigator with Disability Rights Arizona and has enjoyed working with DRAZ since 2010. Donna started her career with DRAZ as a STAT Advocate in the intake department, and now works mostly with healthcare and civil rights service requests. She graduated from Arizona State University Magna Cum Laude, with a degree in Interpersonal Communication and has certificates from the Generation Next Nonprofit Leadership Academy and the Eric Gilbertson Advocacy Institute. She has extensive work experience in the disability community, including The Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council, LIFE, Inc., Easter Seals Arizona and various positions in the Phoenix Metro public transportation system.
Donna serves on the board of the Arizona Technology Access Program and the Mercy Care Member Advisory Board, and volunteers with Diverse Ability Inc. and the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum. In 2022, Donna was awarded the prestigious Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award by the State Bar of Arizona, for her decades-long contributions to advancing disability rights through her work and volunteer activities. In her free time, Donna enjoys painting, adaptive hiking, gardening, cooking and her cat, Rudy.