By Krista Keough
Donna Davis Hon BA’85
“I was always interested in cities,” said Donna Davis Hon BA’85, “which is kind of interesting given the fact that I grew up in a rural community.” Hants County in Nova Scotia is where Davis calls her hometown, but the bright city lights were calling her name from an early age.
“I didn’t get to go to the city very often, but I was very intrigued,” she said. “Lots of lights, lots of people, lots of activities going on. I was very excited by it, and interested in exploring cities and understanding how they worked.”
In high school, Davis discovered her passion for urban geography. One of her geography teachers, Robin Crickmer, was also a part-time professor at Saint Mary’s. He was instrumental in her application to the university and her pursuit of a career in the field.
“At that time, I didn’t want to leave Nova Scotia. Being able to go to a local university that has a well-known geography program, as well as having a professor that I knew, really made that decision pretty easy.”
With Davis’ stand-out grades, Crickmer and her guidance counsellors had put her name forward for a full scholarship, “so that also helped,” she said. The extra support, however, came with its own set of challenges.
“I had to maintain a 4.0 grade point average to keep the scholarship for four years,” said Davis. When asked how she handled the added pressure that comes with achieving the highest marks, she says she was very proud of the opportunity.
“I didn’t want to disappoint anyone, including my parents, who were pleased as punch. I was probably going to work really hard anyhow, but it drove me to succeed.”
While on campus and living in residence, she played recreational sports, took part in social activities and met a lot of really great friends. “The small class sizes also meant that I got to know a lot of my schoolmates.”
Davis completed her Master of Science in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning at the University of Toronto after graduating from Saint Mary’s. She was drawn to the fact that Toronto is a really big city, and it gave her the chance to live that “big city life”.
As much as she enjoyed her experience, she returned to Nova Scotia to begin her career and be near family and friends.
Her first job was as a planning technician, followed by a position as a junior planner at the Municipality of East Hants. She moved to the (former) Town of Bedford and, after the amalgamation, transitioned to the Halifax Regional Municipality.
“I’ve been working for the municipality for 38 years. I’ve had the opportunity to do many different things, and that’s always kept my interest.”
For the first decade, she worked in planning and development. “I started as an urban planner writing urban planning policy, developing city plans and being involved in development approval processes.”
Davis took on more senior roles, up to Chief Information Officer, and led major initiatives using information and technology management to provide better services to residents. At the top of her game, she could have retired early, “but I didn’t,” she said.
“I had the opportunity to take on the role of project manager for the Cogswell District project,” she said, which is the biggest city-building project in the history of Halifax. “That really brought me full circle into the planning realm again.”
“To have a hand in what’s going to be a brand new neighbourhood, and a very pivotal piece in downtown Halifax in such a prime location, is just phenomenal. We’ve been able to take an area of land that really didn’t have a purpose and turn it into something really vibrant.”
Not only was the interchange underutilized, but it also represented a separation of the north and west end from the waterfront and downtown. “Our ability to remove it and knit those connections together again is one of the most exciting things for me.”
What’s next for Davis, now that she is officially retiring? Making memories with her parents and taking on meaningful volunteer work are at the top of her list. To fulfill her passion for exploring new places, she plans to travel more with her husband. “There are lots of cities and lots of urban areas to see in the world,” she said, as the bright city lights call her name once again.
This story was featured in the Fall edition of the Maroon + White alumni magazine. Visit the online magazine to read more alumni stories!