Almarie Donaldson, Ph.D.

SENIOR CAPACITY BUILDER

Dr. Donaldson is the Senior Capacity Builder for Maryland Nonprofits- Maryland Latinos Unidos (MLU). She has extensive experience leading, designing, researching, developing, and implementing innovative programs throughout the globe. Dr. Donaldson is a visionary leader with a keen sense of strategy and forward thinking. Invested in diversity and cross-cultural matters at a global scale, her expertise has supported the growth of numerous organizations; from nonprofits to corporations, NGOs, higher education organizations, and government agencies. Her years in consultancies have significantly impacted organizations across the globe. She serves as a subject matter expert for USAID’s Higher Education for Economic Growth Activity (HEA) project.

As a subject matter expert, she is the resource higher education advisor for USAID, World Learning, and the Research Triangle Institute on Central American projects. She participated on the leadership team in a country-wide project managed by FUNDESA Guatemala “Educating the Indian Girl”, in addition, she was the country project lead for the Youth Development Program of CONAJU Peru, a program to impact the leadership capabilities among young entrepreneurs of Peru.

She has worked with several higher education institutions across the globe to design, write, implement and lead global leadership programs. In her administrative role, she has extended the capacity for programs to reach beyond their current plans and strategies. She has participated as a founding member in establishing several Hispanic initiatives across the US. She was the lead founder and designer of the Hispanic Center for Achievement and Learning (HUCHAT), during her years as the Dean of University College at the prestigious historically black college of Hampton University.

Almarie is an invited country principal investigator with the very high-profile leadership GLOBE project (Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness) at the Wharton School of Business and Thunderbird School of Management. Holding a Fulbright Scholar appointment at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, academic rank and faculty positions at several institutions across the globe, she is an invited consultant, scholar and lecturer at several renowned universities across the globe, some to include: Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Universidad Catolica de Portugal, University of St. Joseph–Macau and Universidad Francisco Marroquin-Guatemala, Universidad Del Valle de Guatemala. Dr. Donaldson has worked as a leadership consultant with Bayer Guatemala, Pfizer, Abbott Central America, Copa Airlines, and Banco del Café Guatemala.

She is a featured speaker among conference circuits across the globe on topics related to diversity and inclusion, global leadership, Hispanic leadership, cross-cultural leadership and women in a leadership role, and visionary leadership. Her inspirational and dynamic leadership style has leveraged organizations throughout the world.  Born and raised in Guatemala, she earned her Ph.D. degree in Organizational Leadership at Regent University’s School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship. She resides in Virginia with her husband Keith, four young adult children, and two dogs.