A native of Austin, Donna earned a Bachelor's degree in nursing and a Master's degree in health education from the University of Texas. She worked as a critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton hospitals, and served as Austin's first hospital-based Patient Education Coordinator. Donna is a past president of the Texas Nurses Association (District 5) and was a health education instructor at UT.

Donna was elected to the Eanes ISD board in West Austin for the 1996-1999 term. She has served on the boards of Austin Area Interreligious Ministries, Common Cause Texas, Texas Freedom Network, and the Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. She now serves as a board member of the Expanding Horizons Foundation, supporting low-income housing and education.

Her prior committee and workgroup appointments include- House Calendars Committee; Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committee; Speaker's Select Committee on Fiscal Impacts of Border Security; LCRA Upper Basin Work Group; Select Committee to Determine a Sufficient Balance of the Economic Stabilization Fund; Joint Interim Committee On Prescribing and Dispensing Controlled Substances; Joint Interim Committee on Higher Education Formula Funding; and the Joint Oversight Committee on Government Facilities.

Representative Howard was married to attorney Derek Howard for 40 wonderful years and they proudly raised three children together. Rep. Howard is also a grandmother to seven perfect grandchildren.