Carol Donovan is a native of Dallas, a human rights advocate, and a retired attorney-mediator, having practiced law in Dallas for over 40 years. In addition to her law degree, Carol has earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership.
In addition to practicing law, Carol has served as a nonprofit executive, a community volunteer, a public speaker, and as the former Dallas County Democratic Party Chair (June 2015-June 2021). However, her favorite role is as grandmother to her five “almost perfect” grandkids.
Carol attended DISD’s Bryan Adams High School and the University of Texas at Austin, where she was the first woman elected as Student Body President. During college, she worked in the Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Congressman J.J. (“Jake”) Pickle. After earning her law degree at Texas Tech School of Law, Carol served as a briefing attorney for U.S. District Judge Robert M. Parker.
Carol’s volunteer activities reflect her interests in equality, human rights,and international matters. At the University of Texas at Austin, she successfully lobbied for compliance with Title IX. In Dallas, she reinstated the Dallas Women’s Coalition and she co-founded the Susan B. Anthony Award Luncheon, later sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Dallas. She has served as an officer and board member of numerous nonprofit organizations, and as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of her church. She is a past president of the Oak Cliff Lions Club and the current Program Director of the Dallas Founder Lions Club.
In 2007, Carol chaired the International Women’s Peace Conference, attended in Dallas, Texas by over 1,400 delegates (including three Nobel Peace Laureates) from 45 countries. She was Founding Director of the Castleberry Peace Institute, now owned and operated by the University of North Texas. As a member of the Dallas Press Club, she is organizing candidate debates. As a board member of Dallas Human Rights, she has helped organize seminars on gun safety, She has written a book on award-winning journalist Vivian Castleberry, which will be published by TWU.
Carol is married to Dan Donovan, a shareholder of the law firm of Geary, Porter & Donovan. Their two children: Kathleen and Patrick, practice law in Dallas, Texas.