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Donnica Hawes-Saunders is the Founder and CEO of The Averity Group, a full-service, solution-oriented public affairs firm that specializes in highly regulated organizations. They maximize advocacy success through proactive engagement and in 2023, The Averity Group was named one of the top reputation management agencies in the U.S. by Design Rush.
Donnica is recognized as a mission-driven, political social impact strategist that specializes in complex policy and media environments. With over a decade of experience in the private sector and on Capitol Hill, she connects public policy and organizational priorities with an emphasis on politically astute, coalition-based communications and strategic partnerships.
While leading global and U.S. public affairs and external communications outreach at Philip Morris International (PMI), Donnica conceptualized, developed, and directed over thirty original partnerships across six intersections: policy, media, NGOs, academic, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion, elevating PMIs brand. She secured a fifty percent increase in relationships with high-profile bi-partisan, key opinion leaders, and third-party validators for the company despite multi billion-dollar resistance efforts within the industry. In addition, Donnica strategized and executed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and advocacy across U.S. and global teams increasing PMI’s corporate visibility, engagement, and reputation in various markets.
Prior to PMI, Donnica worked at Heineken USA developing federal legislative strategy that resulted in two years of federal excise tax relief for the company, saving approximately thirteen million dollars annually. She also launched inaugural state and local legislative tracking, reporting, and communications for global and U.S. leadership. In addition, she built social impact partnerships to promote brand reputation through corporate social responsibility and DEI programming. During her tenure, she created several successful alcohol responsibility campaigns, including Heineken’s premier DRINK or DRIVE campaign in the U.S.
With several years serving as a senior staffer on Capitol Hill, Donnica has a broad background in policy and legislative strategy. She drafted and advanced legislation including bills to improve responses to victims of child sex trafficking (P.L. 114-22) and established amendment language in the 2014 Farm Bill Conference Report designating a historically black college (HBCU) as an 1890 Land Grant University, increasing access to federal funds. She worked in the offices of Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), the U.S. House Democratic Caucus under Chairman John Larson (CT-01), and the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, under Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (MS-02).
Before working in the U.S. Congress, Donnica established a legal background through a unique combination of corporate law, litigation, negotiation, and persuasive communication training. She was a federal law clerk in the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and for the 165th Harris County Civil District Court of Houston. She also represented clients at the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office, Juvenile and Child Support Division, and worked at Sebaly, Shillito & Dyer in the commercial litigation department focused on bankruptcy law.
Donnica has published articles in World Leaders Magazine, SheMedia, Diplomatic Courier, Sustainable Brands, Black EOE Journal, Sustainable Brands, Authority Magazine, Swaay, and Harness Magazine for her perspectives on corporate culture, sustainability, and diversity and inclusion. She has been featured on several podcasts as well as a speaker in the U.S. and globally at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Executive Institute, the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today’s evolving workplaces, the Public Education Leadership Network (PLEN), Better Business Bureau (BBB), Aspen Institute, and the Concordia Summit during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Recognized for her influence in public affairs, Donnica was named one of D.C.’s Top Lobbyists and Influencers by Lawyers of Color magazine. She was also selected as a member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders, an esteemed global network of elected officials and policy experts. As an Executive Leadership Council Fellow, she works to expand opportunities for Black executives to make meaningful contributions across business and community.
Donnica’s leadership history includes serving on the Advisory Council of the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHCI) and the board of the World Affairs Council of America (WACA). Currently, she serves on the advisory council of her alma mater, The University of Dayton School of Law (UDSL), and on the board of Dayton Live, the region's largest employer of performing arts professionals. Deeply committed to civic guidance, she also serves on the Influencer Council of Running Start, a nonpartisan organization training young women for political leadership, and the Legislative and Regulatory Committee of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, where she helps guide policy on taxation, trade, healthcare, and business regulation.
With a track record of innovation, Donnica has been honored by Marquis Who’s Who for her work at The Averity Group. She is also a 2025 Business Journal Forty Under 40 Honoree and a 2025 Better Business Bureau Women to Watch Honoree, celebrated for her business acumen and commitment to uplifting communities. A trailblazer in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Donnica has been honored as one of Yahoo Finance's EMpower 100 Global Future Leaders & Top 20 Highest Achieving Changemakers for her strategic impact, execution, and advocacy. She also received the PRISM International Diversity Impact Award for her work in developing and institutionalizing HBCU programming within global organizations.
Beyond her professional achievements, Donnica is deeply committed to community service and cultural preservation. She volunteers as an Ambassador for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and is an active member of The Links, Incorporated.
Donnica holds a J. D. from the University of Dayton School of Law, and received a B.A., magna cum laude, in Sociology and Anthropology from Spelman College.
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