Danielle McDonald, Ph.D., M.Ed., is a consultant at TNG with more than 30 years of leadership experience in higher education. She helps institutions develop responsive, intentional approaches to Behavioral Intervention Teams (BITs), policy and program review, and crisis planning.

Before joining TNG, McDonald served as Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of South Florida, where she led student engagement, student advocacy, crisis intervention, and community development. As a leader in the Division of Student Success, she collaborated across the university to reduce barriers to student retention and degree completion. McDonald began her career in residence life and advanced through progressively responsible leadership roles across student affairs departments at several large R1 universities in the Southeast.

She earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of South Florida, where her dissertation examined predictors of degree completion among transfer students. She also holds an M.Ed. in Student Affairs Administration from the University of Georgia, a Certificate in Higher Education Management from Harvard, and bachelor’s degrees in Speech Communication and Psychology from the University of Miami.

Throughout her career, McDonald has developed teams and organizations that foster supportive, developmental, and caring environments for students and staff. Employers and national organizations have recognized her contributions to student success, crisis response, change management, student advocacy, and leadership. In 2024, she received the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) AVP/Senior-Level Student Affairs Professional Award, for which her staff nominated her. In 2011, the Georgia Institute of Technology established the Danielle McDonald Legacy Award in her honor, which is presented annually to organizations or individuals that have made a significant impact on the campus environment.

McDonald has served on NASPA’s AVP Steering Committee and as faculty for the New AVP Institute and Mid-level Management Institute. She has presented at numerous conferences, provided consulting for organizations and leaders, contributed to statewide, regional, and national professional, civic, philanthropic, and fraternal organizations, and lectured in undergraduate and graduate courses.

She lives in Tampa, Florida, with her husband of 30 years, whom she met as resident assistants in college, and their adult son. When she is not helping organizations thrive, she enjoys taking dance classes, working on crafts, and reading at the beach.