New Williamsburg-James City County School Board member wants to represent ‘all students and all parents’

For Andrea Donnor, education has always played a big part in her life, going back to when she watched her grandmother as a teacher.

Now, Donnor will step into an education role of her own when she takes her seat as the Williamsburg-James City County Schools’ newest school board member on Jan. 1.

Donnor will take the position being vacated by Kyra Cook, whose final four-year term ends on Dec. 31. Cook decided to not put her name forward for reappointment after two terms — eight years — dedicated to public education.

“It was an honor to serve on the Williamsburg-James City County School Board,” Cook said. “WJCC is an exceptional division with amazing students, remarkable teachers and dedicated staff and administrators. This community has always demonstrated its commitment to public education, and I am grateful to have been a small part of a long tradition of excellence.”

Four candidates submitted applications to replace Cook. The application process included individual and group interviews with Williamsburg City Council members and participation at a public hearing in November.

After being appointed by City Council, Donnor was officially sworn into her new role on Dec. 20. She stressed the importance of public education and how it has always played a major role in her life.

“My grandmother was a New York City public school teacher for 31 years,” Donnor said in an interview. “She taught fourth and sixth grade and was also a guidance counselor in elementary school. So education with her has always been a big part of my life.”

Donnor grew up in New Rochelle, New York, outside of New York City, and eventually went on to receive an undergraduate degree in business from Wellesley College and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University.

Part of what attracted her to the MBA program at Harvard was that she could learn more about the intersection of public health and business. Growing up, Donnor’s father was a physician, so health care has also always been a big part of her family.

She has over 15 years of experience working in health care both as a regional operations director for the DaVita dialysis clinic in Richmond and Hampton Roads and by running an outpatient diagnostic imaging center for Solis, a center that focuses primarily on women’s health.

In January 2022, she joined the Williamsburg Health Foundation’s board of trustees.

“It’s just been an amazing way to really get reconnected with health care,” Donnor said.

The health foundation sponsors many public programs within Greater Williamsburg, including the School Health Initiative Program, a program that strives to improve the health and wellness of WJCC students and staff by promoting healthy eating and physical activity.

“At the Williamsburg Health Foundation, we value Ms. Donnor’s understanding and insight into what children and adults alike need to be happy and healthy,” said Carol L. Sale, the foundation’s president and CEO. “Her understanding of the social risk factors that influence health combined with her Harvard MBA training make her a remarkable asset to the foundation as I know she will be to our schools.”

Donnor, director of marketing operations at Capital One Financial, has been a resident of the Williamsburg area for about 12 years. Since moving to the Historic Triangle with her husband, a professor at William & Mary, she said she has paid close attention to the WJCC school division as a parent with a daughter in elementary school.

Joining Julie Hummel as one of the city’s two appointed representatives on the school board (James City County elects their five positions), Donnor said she will work to represent all students and all parents. She said she greatly values different learning perspectives of students, “both emotional and physical,” and she said she hopes to be there for children, “not just from the city of Williamsburg, but from James City County as well.”

Donnor said she wants to make sure “all of our children get their needs met within the school system and that for parents we have a school system that makes it easy for them to navigate, to get the services that they need for their children and to understand what their rights are.”

This includes proper classroom sizes and designated areas for schools to provide resources for “special education teachers, reading and math interventionists, and physical therapy and occupational therapy, and speech therapy,” Donnor said. “To make sure our teachers have the resources and making sure that they are being paid competitively in comparison to other nearby localities, and in comparison to the state.”

Dominic Catacora, 757-798-9833, dominic.catacora@virginiamedia.com