Donna Galluzo
Donna Galluzzo was a LearningWorks board member from 1999 to 2006. During that time, she held every position on the executive committee as our Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Her time as a board member significantly shaped who we are today. Currently, she is the executive director of the Frannie Peabody Center in Portland.
Donna has a deep history in education, community work, and documentary studies. Fortunately for us, she happened to be in a graduate class at the Muskie School with a LearningWorks board member who recruited her to join the board while working toward her Masters in adult education and community development. Throughout her time on the board, her photography skills captured many of our graduation ceremonies, public events, and programs in action. Her generosity helped LearningWorks grow and thrive, and it made an impact on her too. She says, “I learned so much about the role and impact a community based organization has on a neighborhood, a culture, and the generations of residents it serves. I was inspired by the activist roots in LearningWorks’ past, and I learned how to be a better board member and a better executive director through my experiences there.”
Thinking back on how LearningWorks has made an impact on our community in its 50 years, Donna spoke about how the organization “has been a beacon to the neighborhood. It’s a place that people can wander into for companionship, help, growth opportunities; it shows that the neighborhood has a heart and a strong, caring soul.” Looking to the future, Donna can imagine LearningWorks building on its strong foundation and continuing to grow, partnering with other local and statewide organizations, while maintaining a special connection to the neighborhood where it all started. “As the demographics of the peninsula and our west end neighborhood change, integrating old and new residents in a way that fosters community, trust, and camaraderie” is something she – and all of us at LearningWorks – hope for.
Courtesy – Molly Haley Photography