Donald Whitehead
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Mr. Donald Whitehead served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Horne as the ship journalist. Following his service, Whitehead struggled to readjust to society for a decade, culminating in homelessness. On August 25, 1996, he entered a substance abuse treatment facility. After completing the program, he began his career as an outreach worker.
Whitehead has more than 25 years of experience working on issues affecting marginalized communities. He has provided direct service and technical assistance with homeless services, Veterans' services, substance abuse services, racial equity, and poverty throughout his career. He provided direct service at various levels in his first 10 years, ranging from outreach coordinator to executive director positions in several cities. From 2001 to 2004, Whitehead served as executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). During his tenure at NCH, the organization led the effort to pass the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act. It Introduced the Bring America Home campaign, the most comprehensive legislation to end homelessness in history. Whitehead also used his fundraising skills to set new NCH fundraising records.
Whitehead left NCH in 2004 to use his program development, strategic planning, and fundraising knowledge to assist a broader range of organizations. As a consultant, he has worked in communities throughout the United States and within federal agencies, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the states of Maryland, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Florida, and Arizona. Cities include Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Orlando, and St. Cloud.
In 2020, Whitehead joined Jeff Olivet and Kavita Sing-Gilcrest to found Racial Equity Partners (REP). Over the last two years, REP has grown as one of the leading consultation companies working on racial equity. REP has numerous contracts with non-profit and for-profit clients, including city-state, federal, community-based, and large organizations.
Whitehead specializes in integrating people with lived experience into the planning and governance structures in continuums of care and community-based organizations. He helps to rethink shelter and coordinated entry strategic planning.
Throughout his career, Whitehead has provided services to the homeless Veteran community. He has managed Veteran outreach, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, transitional housing, and emergency shelter programs in service to the Veteran community. He has also received awards for managing Stand Down events in Ohio.
Whitehead has served on advisory committees for Presidents Bush, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Biden. In 2005, Donald received a distinguished service award from the Congressional Black Caucus for his work on homelessness. He received a second award of Special Recognition from Congress in 2008. In 2011, he completed the prestigious American Express Leadership Academy.
Currently, Whitehead resides in Laurel, Maryland.
