Donna is a Murrow Award-winning journalist with 40 years of radio and television experience. Donna has a Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism (BJ) from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She’s worked as a news director, producer, anchor, reporter and instructor for commercial and public radio and television stations in Missouri, Kansas and Florida. She’s the recipient of the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television Digital News Association as well as numerous state and regional journalism awards. She recently completed nearly 31 years at the University of Florida where she was a multimedia news manager for WUFT and taught Advanced Radio Reporting for the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida.
She currently has her own business, DGT Multimedia Productions. In her spare time she is serving on the Board of the Friends of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm and as the Publicity and Song Contest Coordinator for the Will McLean Festival.
Awards
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Long Light Feature, “Remembering the Legendary Doc Watson,” 2013.
RTDNA, 1st place Best Website Regional Award, 2013
RTDNA, 1st place Overall Excellence Regional Award, 2013
RTDNA, 1st place Audio News Documentary Regional Award for “Environmental Education Through Song,” 2012.
RTDNA, 1st place Newscast Regional Award for “Earthquake in Japan,” 2012
RTDNA, 1st place Overall Excellence Regional Award, 2012
RTDNA, 1st place Best Website Regional Award, 2012
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 2nd place Long Light Feature, “Florida’s Songbird,” 2012.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 2nd place Public Affairs for “History and Plight of Florida Waterways,” 2012
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Best Website, 2012.
RTDNA, 1st place Audio Best Use of Sound Regional Award for “Sharing a Love of Bluegrass,” 2011.
RTDNA, 1st place Overall Excellence Regional Award, 2011.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 2nd place Best Use of Sound, “Sharing a Love of Bluegrass,” 2011.
RTDNA, 1st place Audio News Documentary Regional Award for “Florida Cattle Ranching: The End of An Era,” 2010.
RTDNA, 1st place, Audio Sports Reporting Regional Award for “Gatorade Rebranding Stirs Up Gators,” 2010.
RTDNA, 1st place Overall Excellence Regional Award, 2010.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Best Public Affairs for “Florida Cattle Ranching: The End of An Era,” 2010.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Best Sports Feature for “Gatorade Rebranding Stirs Up Gators,” 2010.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 2nd place Best Use of Sound for “Veterans Day Service,” 2010.
RTNDA, 1st place Continuing Coverage Regional Award for “UF Budget Woes,” 2009.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place, Best Short Light Feature, “Alachua County Spelling Bee,” 2009.
Society of Professional Journalists, The Atlanta Professional Chapter, 1st Place, Green Eyeshade Awards, Disaster Coverage, “Bugaboo Fire,” 2008.
Society of Professional Journalists, South Florida Chapter, 1st place Sunshine State Awards, Radio Deadline News Reporting, “Bugaboo Fire,” 2008.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, Finalist, Spot News, “Bugaboo Fire,” 2008.
RTNDA, 1st place Documentary, Regional Award for “The Long Road: From Poverty to Prosperity in Bradford County,” (Exec. Editor) 2006.
RTNDA, 1st place Sports Reporting, Regional Award for “Go Gators” (Prod/Editor) 2006.
Society of Professional Journalists, South Florida Chapter, 1st place Sunshine State Awards, Radio Public Service Award for “The Long Road: From Poverty to Prosperity in Bradford County,” (Exec. Editor) 2006.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st Place, Sports Feature, “Gator Believers,” (Prod/Editor) 2006.
RTNDA, 1st place Feature Reporting, Regional Award for, “The 351st Returns,” 2005.
Society of Professional Journalists, Mid-Florida Chapter, 1st place Spot News Over Sixty Seconds, “The 351st Returns,” 2005.
Society of Professional Journalists, Mid-Florida Chapter, 2nd place General Reporting, “Hurricane Call for Nurses,” 2005.
RTNDA, 1st place Documentary, Regional Award for Radio Small Market for “The Luckiest Unlucky Man,” 2004.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st Public Affairs, “CCA Wood,” 2004.
Society of Professional Journalists, Mid-Florida Chapter, 1st place Consumer Reporting, “CCA Wood,” 2004.
Society of Professional Journalists, Mid-Florida Chapter, 2nd place Special Documentary, “The Luckiest Unlucky Man,” 2004
RTNDA, 1st place Documentary, Regional Award for Radio Small Market for “Groundwater Garrison: The War Over Water In Central FL,” (Exec. Editor) 2003.
RTNDA, 1st place Sports Reporting, Regional Award for Radio Small market for “Mark Brunell: Loyalty to JAX,” 2003.
Society of Professional Journalists, The Atlanta Professional Chapter, Finalist, Green Eyeshade Awards, documentary, “Groundwater Garrison: The War Over Water In Central FL,” (editor) 2003.
Society of Professional Journalists, The Atlanta Professional Chapter, Finalist, Green Eyeshade Awards, sports reporting, “Mark Brunell: Loyalty to JAX,” 2003.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Documentary for “Groundwater Garrison: The War Over Water In Central FL,” (editor) 2003.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Sports Reporting for “Mark Brunell: Loyalty to JAX,” 2003.
Mid-Florida Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, 1st place Documentary for “Groundwater Garrison: War Over Water In Central FL,” (editor) 2003.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Best Use of Sound Award for “Mother’s Day,” 2002.
RTNDA, 1st Place Feature Reporting, Regional Award for “Aucilla River Research,” 2001.
RTNDA, 1st Place Documentary, Regional Award for “Shalom: A Jewish Journey Across The Emerald Isle,” (editor) 2001.
RTNDA, 1st Place Documentary, National Edward R. Murrow Award, Radio Small Market for “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” 2000.
RTNDA, 1st place Documentary, Regional Award for Radio Small Market for “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” 2000.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Public Affairs Award for “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” 2000.
National Federation of Community Broadcasters, Silver Reel for documentary “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” 2000.
Society of Professional Journalists, The Atlanta Professional Chapter, Finalist, Green Eyeshade Awards, documentary, “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” 2000.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Investigative Reporting Award for “Child Care Series,” 1999.
Society of Professional Journalists, South Florida Chapter, 1st place Sunshine State Awards, Radio Public Service Award for “Cross Florida Barge Canal Series,” 1998.
Society of Professional Journalists, Atlanta Professional Chapter, 1st place Sports Reporting, Green Eye Shade Awards for “Dream to Go Pro,” 1998.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Public Affairs Award for “Cross Florida Barge Canal Series,” 1998.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Best Use of Sound Award for “Catfishing,” 1998.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 1st place Sports Reporting Award for “Dream to Go Pro,” 1998.
Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, 2nd place Sports Reporting Award for “Heisman Candidate Danny Wuerffel Profile,” 1997.
Florida Associated Press, 2nd place award for “The Plight of the Florida Panther,” in the radio feature category, 1987
Florida Associated Press, 1st place awards for “Gator Hunt” in the radio feature category and “Acid Rain: The Problem and the Solutions,” in the radio documentary category, 1985
Florida Associated Press, 2nd place award for “Florida’s Greenbelt Law,” in the radio agricultural reporting category, 1984
Media award from the Reno County, Kansas Mental Health Association, 1982
Journalism Scholarship from the Norman Hurst Trenholme Scholarship Fund, 1978
Missouri Broadcasters’ Association 1st place award for public service announcements for the March of Dimes for KBIA-FM, 1977