Donna Lucas

Donna Lucas is founder and chief executive officer of Lucas Public Affairs (LPA), a firm she established in 2006, and a highly regarded strategic communications consultant. In 2024, LPA was acquired by Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Before founding LPA, she was the CEO of Nelson Communications, a leading California public affairs firm that was acquired by Omnicom in 2000. Following the acquisition, she served as global partner and public affairs practice leader for Porter Novelli. After her tenure at Porter Novelli, she served as deputy chief of staff for strategic planning and initiatives for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and later as chief of staff for First Lady Maria Shriver. Earlier in her career, she held several other notable positions, including deputy press secretary for Governor George Deukmejian, deputy treasurer for State Treasurer Tom Hayes, and California press secretary for the 1988 presidential campaign of George H.W. Bush. She has also served as chair of the California Chamber of Commerce and chair of the College Futures Foundation. She was a member of the Public Policy Institute of California board of directors from 2007 to 2019, chairing the board from 2013 to 2016, and she continues to be involved with PPIC as a member of its Statewide Leadership Council and its Survey Advisory Committee. She is a director of Five Star Bank, a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. She is a founding member of She Shares, a unique conversation series featuring trailblazing women leaders who have made a lasting impact in California and beyond. Recognized for her leadership, she was named Sacramento Businesswoman of the Year in 2018 by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce and is routinely listed among Sacramento’s most powerful and influential figures in Capitol Weekly’s annual “Top 100.”