Leadership Institute
Kent Britten Memorial Leadership Award

2004 Kent Britten Leadership Award
Dr. Donna Grant Paulsen

Donna has brought new ideas and visions to the table in our community. She takes pride in Warren County and Warren County is fortunate to have such a hard working, go-getter on our team. She represents Warren County on federal, state and local levels.

Donna is patient to get the job done right and is open-minded. She wears many hats on top of being a Warren County business owner and a full time dentist/employer. The Norwalk Chamber is fortunate to have her as NACC President in 2004. She is a wife and a mother of two young boys. She is a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

Being President of the Norwalk Area Chamber of Commerce (NACC) is by no means just a title. Like many things you can make it as much as you want or as little as you want. Dr. Donna Grant has made Norwalk proud this year by making her position of President of NACC work for the community and by hitting every detail on the mark to make progress for Norwalk. Donna makes Norwalk a better place to live, work and play because she cares deeply about the future of this area. She invites progressive thinking and no challenge is too big.

She has volunteered on the following committees:

* Tax abatement
* Ru Norwalk (Chairperson and sponsor of Kids Fun Run)
* Buyer's Guide
* New Norwalk Map Brochure
* Norwalk's Billion Dollar Vision Announcement (April 22, 2004)-Chairperson
* Picnic in the Park
* Keep Norwalk Beautiful

Donna attended several Norwalk Chamber ribbon cuttings, the Community Barn Dance, the NACC holiday lunch, Chamber Night at Sec Taylor and many executive committee meetings. Donna helped select the scholarship award winner and presented that scholarship at the Senior Night Awards Program at the Norwalk High School in May.

She participated in the Norwalk Open Golf Tournament.

Donna began what will become an annual event with the South Des Moines Chamber. In September, the NACC held a joint meeting with South Des Moines. We invited our legislators and theirs and had an open Q & A forum over lunch discussing issues that affect us all. Also in September, Donna participated in the City of Norwalk's emergency response training and practice drill. Norwalk is one of the few cities nationwide to implement and practice this drill.

Donna was the driving force behind the first annual Planning Session and Retreat for the incoming NACC Board of Directors in December. Her goal was to have the new board members and committees up and running in January of 2004 and she accomplished that goal.

Donna is the 2004 Co-chair of the Greater Des Moines Partnership Affiliates. She will be representing Norwalk and Warren County in Washington DC in June 2004. Donna is currently participating in the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.

Donna was the only Warren County dentist to participated in the “Give a Child a Smile” program, which provides free dental care to all children in Warren County and beyond who have no insurance.

Nominated By:
Julie Manatrey
NACC Chamber Director

Warren County Leadership Institute made a donation in Donna's name to Norwalk Parks and Recreation.