Donna Blackman

Donna Blackman, Senior Vice President, Business Operations for BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. is a Financial and Strategic Planning Executive recognized for her ability to maximize corporate results and individual performance. In 2018, Donna expanded her role beyond finance to include overseeing strategy & operations and leading one of the premiere urban festivals, the BET Experience.  She currently oversees finance and research and is responsible for strategic and long range planning, evaluating and establishing external partnerships and business opportunities and expanding live events.

 

Prior to joining BET, Donna held several finance leadership positions at Marriott International, Inc., including Vice President, Development Asset Management, Vice President, Finance, Vice President, Investor Relations and Director, Financial Reporting and Accounting Policy.

 

Prior to joining Marriott, Donna was a Senior Manager with KPMG LLP in New York and Washington, DC, where she provided audit and consulting services to a variety of both public and private clients.

 

Donna is passionate about serving the community and ensuring that young people have access to education to help them reach their full potential.  She currently serves as Treasurer of the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation Board and previously served as a member of the Robert H Smith School Advisory Board and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of Inroads Board.

 

Donna is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an MBA degree from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting from North Carolina State University.

 

On most weekends you can find Donna and her husband in the stands cheering for her son and his basketball teammates or watching with pride while her daughter dances with her high school and competitive dance teams; she fully embraces being the loudest basketball and dance mom.