Donald Whitehead is one of the country’s leading experts on Homelessness. Donald serves as the Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless and is also one of the co-founders of Racial Equity Partners. Donald’s career includes 28 years of service that has spanned every facet of homeless service from outreach to Executive Director. Donald has served on many organizational boards, including two terms as President of the board of Directors for the National Coalition for the Homeless, two on the Board of Directors for Faces and Voices of Recovery, and two on the Georgetown Center for Cultural Competency.
Donald served two terms on The State of Maryland Drug and Alcohol Policy Council, The Baltimore Ten-Year Planning Committee to end Homelessness and The Cincinnati Continuum of Care Board. Donald was one of only 100 advocates invited to the first National Symposium on Homeless Research. Donald testified before committees in the 107th and 108th Congress. Donald, along with members of the staffs of the offices of Representatives John Conyers, Julie Carson, and Barbara Lee and the staff of the National Coalition, directed the creation and introduction of the “Bringing America Home Act, the most comprehensive legislation to date to address Homelessness in America. Donald provided policy advice to Presidents Bush, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Biden.
In 2005, Donald received a distinguished service award for his work on Homelessness from the Congressional Black Caucus. Donald received a second award of Special Recognition from Congress in 2008. In 2011 Donald completed the prestigious American Express Leadership Academy. Donald has provided written and verbal testimony to the United States Congress and the United Nations,
Donald has recently appeared on the Dr. Phil show and has been interviewed on numerous occasions in the printed media, radio, and television. Donald has been featured on CBS News, ABC News, FOX TV, CNN, MSNBC, and many local stations. Radio appearances have included CBS Radio, NPR, The Tavis Smiley Show, The Tom Joyner Morning Show and local stations throughout the US along with stations in Great Britain, Germany, Canada and Mexico. Donald has been a dinner guest of former President and Senator Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Donald majored in Communications at the City College of Chicago, The University of Cincinnati, and Union College and University in Ohio. Donald served as a Journalist in the United States Navy. On a personal note, Donald is a stand-up comedian and actor. Donald has performed in six movies, multiple commercials, stage plays, and network television shows and has received a regional Emmy for a role in the movie “Open the Sky”. Donald lives with his beautiful wife, Tracy Whitehead, in Laurel, Maryland