Donna London
35 | Senior Accountant, Davis & Hodgdon CPAs
Residence: Williston
Career highlight(s) you are most proud of:
Being promoted to senior accountant. In this role, not only am I getting the opportunity to develop new skills, but I also get to work with staff on developing the critical skills they need as well. The 
promotion is also an acknowledgement of the firm’s trust and recognition that hard work does pay off.
Your community involvement:
I am proud to have worked with several nonprofits that are making a real impact on the community. I have also volunteered or donated to various nonprofit organizations over the years, including Ronald McDonald House, Chittenden County Humane Society, Green Up Day, Toys for Tots and other programs. Recently, with the support of my employer, I have been accepted into the Leadership Champlain program through the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce.
Inspiration for living and working in Vermont:
Family and community ties. The community in Vermont is something I am proud to be a part of.
Favorite part of your job:
The team effort to give people the best service possible. There is a real focus on quality that is important to me in a workplace. I also feel a great sense of accomplishment working with small-business owners and small businesses that play such an important role in the community. Being able to travel around Vermont and see many different businesses that I have had the opportunity to work with is extremely fulfilling.
Most inspiring mentor:
Most recently, Dawn Grenn, a manager at Davis & Hodgdon. She has taken the time to share her firsthand knowledge and experiences to help me to grow professionally in a field that can be high intensity while still maintaining a balance with family life.
Best career advice you have received:
To go for what I want and to put myself out there, even if it is scary to do so. In the end, be my own best advocate.
Something fun about yourself that few people know:
One of my favorite summer activities is visiting different swimming holes and streams around Vermont.
Three words that best describe you:
Driven, kind and inquisitive.
Favorite Vermont escape:
Lake Bomoseen. I love to spend the summer by the lake, swimming, kayaking and watching my sons fish with my father.
Favorite Vermont season:
Summer. There is never enough time to do everything I want in the summer, which makes me appreciate it all the more.
Favorite downtime activity:
Building Legos with my son, or making collages with old magazines.
Favorite social media:
Facebook, because most of my family uses it. It gives me a chance to feel like I am a part of their lives even if they live in a different state and we do not see each other often.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with:
Bernie Sanders.
Cause(s) you would support if you had unlimited funds:
Those that help ensure everyone has access to food, water and an education.
A song on your playlist you are embarrassed to admit to your best friend:
There is nothing on my playlist I would be embarrassed to tell my best friend about — that is part of why she is such a good best friend!
Where you see yourself professionally in the next five to 10 years:
I’d like to become a senior manager of a department at our firm and eventually become a partner.
Goal(s) you’d like to accomplish in the next five to 10 years:
To continue to learn as much as I can so I can better support the individuals and businesses I work with.
How your community service has changed since the pandemic:
Many meetings and gatherings have shifted to a remote setting. I think that has given people who might not have participated in the past the chance to do so now.
How your job has changed since the pandemic:
My job has changed to a hybrid work model. During the beginning of the pandemic, we were able to make the transition seamlessly to fully remote work and were still able to connect with our clients and meet their needs while a lot of the area was shut down. As restrictions have lifted and people have gone back to in-person work, I have now shifted to a hybrid schedule. I can work from home or in the office, which allows for more flexibility with family and a better work-life balance.
