|
| Affiliation | Democratic |
|
| Name | Donna Wesson Smalley |
| Address |
Tuscaloosa, Alabama , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
October 08, 1955
(68 years)
|
| Contributor | Bob |
| Last Modifed | Juan Croniqueur
Feb 13, 2024 02:18pm |
| Tags |
Methodist -
|
| Info | Donna Wesson Smalley was born October 8, 1955 in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma to Robert E. Wesson and Frances Yates Wesson. She is the oldest of four children, and is the favorite aunt of nine neices and nephews. (More on them later.) As the child of an army officer, Donna moved around the country quite a bit, and credits her ability to relate to people to this early experience of having to learn to socialize.
Because of the starting dates for the Oklahoma school system (where she also attended first grade), she graduated from high school in 1973 at the age of 17. She finished at Etowah County High School in Attalla, Alabama, where her family was residing while her father was in Viet Nam. She started at the University of Alabama that fall, and pledged Alpha Chi Omega social sorority. By going to school year round, and taking extra hours, she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in December of 1975, when she was only 19 years old. During her years at college, Donna served as a cabinet level advisor to the Student Government Association President, where she was the first woman to hold such a position. She would continue to attend school with a focused determination that allowed her to graduate from law school in December, 1978, when she was 23 years of age.
Donna is an avid reader and enjoys gardening and walking. She is also a member of the Alabama State Democratic Executive Committee. She was the Democratic candidate for the Sixth District of Congress in 1998, and ran unsuccessfully for the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals in the primary of 2000. In both elections, she was supported by a diverse group of citizens, who encouraged her to seek the positions where she could impact the law and public policies she had come to know so well from her many years as a practicing attorney. Future political plans are not certain at this time, but she will probably run again.
Donna has one child, an eighteen year old son named Trip, who is the love of her life. He is a passionate golfer, and also an excellent student, ranked 40th out 586 at Central High School Eaxt campus in this his senior year. He is considering all his options for college!
Donna is a divorced single Mom, who is also the daughter of divorced parents. She has often said that you do not have to be a fish to swim, but it does help! This is a reference to the unique insights her personal experience has offered her for the benefit of those going through the crisis of divorce and family dissolution. There will be many such lawyers in the future, but there are few with 22 years of legal exxperience who also have this wealth of personal experience.
Donna is a committed activist for children, family and women's issues, especially in the political arena. At present she is helping to promote passage of an Equal Pay Act for the state of Alabama, and is helping to organize a rally at the Statehouse steps in Montgomery on April 3, 2001 at 10:00 am. She is also lobbying for an amendment to the Child Labor Law statute in Alabama, that would raise the criminal fines for violators from $500 to $5,000 dollars per incident. (Three teenage boys have lost their lives in Alabama over the last twelve months by falling off of roofs they were working on at Construction sites.)
|
 | BOOKS |
 |
|
| Title |
Purchase |
Contributor |
|
| Start Date |
End Date |
Type |
Title |
Contributor |
|
| Date |
Category |
Headline |
Article |
Contributor |
|
| INFORMATION LINKS |
|
|
|
