Vickie Donaldson is a product of the Civil Rights front lines. At age 14, growing up in the rural South, Vickie was threatened with a shotgun while registering black neighbors to vote. When she arrived at Rutgers- Newark in 1967 she became a leader in the Black Organization of Students where she would help engineer the February 1969 nonviolent takeover of Conklin Hall, demanding more representation of African-
American students and faculty members at Rutgers-Newark. This was a revolutionary event that transformed Rutgers-Newark with the expansion of programs such as EOF and the hiring of an expanded cohort of faculty of color.
After her undergraduate degree Vickie completed coursework for a Masters in City and Regional Planning before going in the Rutgers Law School to complete her JD. She became a trendsetter when she became the first female General Counsel for the Newark, NJ Board of Education. This position required legal management and oversight for a capital program exceeding $500 million and an operating budget in excess of $600 million dollars to operate public education programs in more than 100 public schools. Subsequently she became involved with poverty and housing issues and addressing homelessness for several decades.
She previously served as the Homeless and Housing Division Director for the largest non-profit in Watts, the Watts Labor Community Action Committee. The agency funding for homeless programs was increased from $350,000.00 per year to $2,200,000.00 during her tenure as Division. Director. In addition to HUD grants, the Division provided services to fourteen programs for homeless persons.
Highlights of this tenure included planning and construction of a $62 million-dollar housing development for homeless families, with full case management supports, and conduct and participation in the first homeless count in Watts.
Her advocacy expanded as she later served a three-year tenure as the program director for Gaudenzia, Inc. a residential homeless facility in Philadelphia. She shepherded their inaugural homeless residential facility as a 100-bed facility which quickly grew to 140 beds the following year. Her tenure also included supervision of the City of Philadelphia’s primary overnight, walk-in intake site for single women, providing referrals to partner collaborators.
Vickie is currently employed as the Social Services Director/Homeless Programs, for the City of Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness She is charged to define, manage, re-format program infrastructure, and implement policies and procedures for homeless programs. Program oversight includes funding provided for ESG, HOPWA, Relocation Assistance and Shelter Plus Care.