LINWOOD — Attorney Donna Michael-Ziereis said she is honored and thrilled about her 2023 induction into the Atlantic County Women’s Hall of Fame following decades of work with various organizations in the community.
Michael-Ziereis is grateful for the organization and its acknowledgement of women’s impact in their communities and professions.
She worked with the Linwood School District for 20 years and was a member of the Linwood Board of Education for 10 years; she chaired the finance and negotiations committees for most of her tenure and served as president during her last few years there.
“I think one of the reasons Linwood is such a popular location for people to come and raise their families is because of the strength of our school district,” Michael-Ziereis said. “Making sure that they remain strong is really important to all of us here in Linwood.”
She ensured that the management team — the superintendent, the principals and the teachers — had what they needed to be successful.
Community-minded folk, Michael-Ziereis said she and her husband have always sought to demonstrate to their children the importance of giving back to the community.
She feels blessed to live in the community, where she has lived her whole life. She strives to help Linwood children grow up happily and hopefully return to the city, where they will have a good quality of life with wonderful opportunities.
Her work in Linwood naturally rose out of having children, and “grew out of making sure we had a strong, vibrant community,” she said.
A member, and president for some time, of the bar association; a member of the Vincent S. Hanneman Inn of Court; active in the Mainland United Soccer Association; she joined the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City last summer serving as the Governance Committee chair. She has always juggled multiple things in the community but maintained a good balance by honing her time-management skills.
“I’m more inclined to be a laboring oar in an organization,” she said. “I only take on things that I know I have a passion for, and I know I will be able to put in the time that is needed in order to contribute.”
At its core, her goal in working with these organizations is to help fulfill their missions.
Michael-Ziereis is an attorney working as general counsel and chief of staff for AtlantiCare. She said the mission of the health system is to provide top-quality health care to the Atlantic County community and remove barriers in the system.
“I am so lucky to work for a company that is so mission-driven,” she said. “It makes going to work every day a joy.”
Recalling the COVID-19 pandemic that impacted health care workers in an unprecedented way, she said helping and cheering on the front-line staff as they worked through the pandemic was pivotal.
From a legal perspective, she reflects on a merger between AtlantiCare and a Pennsylvania health system that was ultimately not beneficial for the Atlantic County community. Two years of her life were focused on the strategy of decoupling from that organization.
“You have to foster a strong work ethic,” she said about young women entering the legal field. “What matters is your own resolution to succeed … that’s really an internal drive that I think is so important to be successful in law and many other professions, too.”
The other inductees are Suzanne Marino, Natalie L. Devonish, Margaret (Peggy) Mallen-Walczak, Robin M. Stoloff, and Nicole R. Williams.
Those interested in attending the induction ceremony should call (609) 377-4035 for tickets.Visit acwhf.org for more information.
By JOELLE CARR/For the Sentinel