WomenTech Virtual Training Portal

Donna Milgram, Executive Director

Donna Milgram, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS), has dedicated her career to helping women succeed in fields that have been traditionally dominated by men. Ms. Milgram has extensive experience helping law enforcement agencies with recruitment, integration and retention of women police officers. She also has far-reaching experience with the education system.

Presenter and Trainer: Police Departments and the FBI Academy

Ms. Milgram has conducted more than ten national trainings on "Recruiting Women to Policing: Strategies That Work" for police departments throughout the country and five workshops on recruitment and retention of female officers at the annual International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference.

She has also delivered trainings for the FBI Academy's Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar on the topics of sexual harassment prevention for police chiefs and recruitment of women officers.

Ms. Milgram provided the keynote address on "Recruiting and Retaining Women in Policing" at a National Hiring Summit for State Police Departments and has lead workshops on this topic for the San Mateo County Police Chief's Association, the Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute, the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives and the National Center for Women in Policing.

Project Director: New Workplace for Women Project

As director of the New Workplace for Women Project, Ms. Milgram assisted the Albuquerque and Tucson Police Departments in increasing the number of female recruits from 10% to one-third of the Academy. She has assisted other Police Departments in achieving similar results in recruitment and retention of women officers and establishing a "zero tolerance" climate for harassment.

Ms. Milgram co-authored an article with Chief Joseph Polisar (previously of Albuquerque, New Mexico) detailing the successful strategies used in the Albuquerque Police Department. The article, "Recruiting, Integrating and Retaining Women Police Officers: Strategies That Work," appeared in the October 1998 issue of The Police Chief. In April 2002, Ms. Milgram wrote a follow up article for The Police Chief, entitled "Recruiting Women to Policing: Practical Strategies That Work."

Women in Policing: Assessing the Work Environment

Ms. Milgram was the Principal Investigator for the National Institute of Justice grant, Women in Policing: Assessing the Work Environment, the result of which was the Law Enforcement Environmental Assessment Tools (LEEAT).

Ms. Milgram created the Law Enforcement Environmental Assessment Tools (LEEAT) under a National Institute of Justice grant for which the Durham and Albuquerque Police Departments were field-test sites. The LEEAT enables law enforcement agencies to conduct a self-assessment and develop a strategic plan for recruiting women, preventing sexual harassment and ensuring fair promotion.

Other publications authored by Ms. Milgram include: "Integration of Women into Male-Dominated Occupations - An Annotated Bibliography" and "Police Equipment & Uniforms Sized to Fit Women".

Nationally-Recognized Expert

A nationally-recognized expert on women and workforce development issues, Ms Milgram has testified before the U.S. Congress and appeared extensively in the news media. She served as an expert witness on the "Sexual Harassment of Women in Nontraditional Occupations" and "School-To-Work Opportunities" Acts, addressing the absence of young women from many U.S. Department of Labor School-To-Work demonstration sites. Her media appearances include CNN, Fox Morning News, C-Span and National Public Radio. She has been quoted in trade publications and major newspapers, such as Law and Order: The Magazine for Police Management, Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine, the EEO Review, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Chicago Tribune.

Law Enforcement Affiliations

Ms. Milgram is a former member of the California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) Recruitment Committee, and is an associate member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Women in Law Enforcement Executives and the International Association of Women in Police.

Beyond Law Enforcement

Outside the police arena, Ms. Milgram works to develop strategies within the educational system to recruit and retain women and girls to STEM/CTE careers and education programs. Ms. Milgram has been a Principal Investigator on 5 National Science Foundation (NSF) grants including the CalWomenTech Project, which was highlighted by the NSF for demonstrating significant achievement and program effectiveness and chosen as 1 of 3 model projects by the American Association of University Women. An expert on closing the gender gap for women and girls in STEM and CTE, she has personally conducted hundreds of WomenTech Educators Trainings online and in person in 46 states and Canada. She has also delivered numerous conference presentations, and authored extensive print and multi-media resources.

Past appointments and affiliations have included Commissioner of the Alameda, CA Economic Development Commission, Board Member of the National Association of Private Industry Councils, member of the Federal Committee on Apprenticeship and Board Member of Girls, Inc. of the Island City (Alameda), where she also chaired the Board Development Committee.

Education

Ms Milgram graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received a Masters degree from the University of Maryland, where she was Valedictorian for her school.