Donna Barksdale

Donna Barksdale is a Mississippi native and the wife of Jim Barksdale. Ms. Barksdale holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English and a master’s degree in counseling with postgraduate work in testing. She is a former businesswoman who manufactured in China and Mongolia but who is passionate about growing Mississippi’s future. She dedicates her time to working with charitable organizations, including the Barksdale Reading Institute, America’s Promise Alliance, the Women’s Foundation of Mississippi and others. She is the chair of the board of directors of MississippiToday.org, a nonpartisan digital news organization devoted to accountability journalism. She is also chair of the board of trustees of Nunoerin, an interactive customer experience company.