Category: Past Speakers

Monde Donaldson is vice president of the Better Business Bureau Educational Foundation of Central and
South Alabama. In this position, her goal is to expand awareness of the BBB by creating relationships
with business leaders, community partners and the general public. Since coming to the BBB last year,
she has focused her attention on educating the public in South Alabama on consumer issues, scam alerts
and fraud schemes. She recently completed intensive fraud training as a national scholarship recipient
for a FINRA-sponsored workshop.
The Mobile native came to the BBB after spending 27 years at Spring Hill College in the advancement
division as a senior major gifts officer and director of alumni relations. In 2006, she was named
fundraiser of the year by the Mobile chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She also
worked as director of development at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School for 10 years. Before coming to
Spring Hill, she worked at the University of Alabama, The Anniston Star and The Pensacola New Journal.
She is a 1975 graduate of the University of Alabama where she served as editor of the student
newspaper, The Crimson White.
Her civic involvement includes the Rotary Club of Mobile, Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce Small
Business Council, vice president of the Diocese of Mobile Catholic Foundation Board, and a founding
member of the Blessed Francis Seelos Catholic Church in Spanish Fort.

Darron Patterson was the first African American sportswriter at the Mobile Press Register, and is a three-time Alabama Press Association award winner for “Best Story of the Year.”
He later worked for The Detroit News, covering the National Football League’s Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons of the NBA, Detroit Tigers baseball team and the Detroit Red Wings hockey club.
He was also the first African American to cover NASCAR and Indy Car racing circuits for a major daily newspaper, and later spent three years as Director of Communications for the City of Detroit’s Resource Management System.
The Africatown native also serves on the board of directors of the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame, is co-leader of the men’s ministry at Mt. Hebron Church Ministries, is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, a graduate of the University of Texas-at El Paso and is president of the slave-ship Clotilda Descendants Association.
He is married to the former Sandy Grimes.

Dr. Eric G. Mackey currently serves as the State Superintendent of Education. Prior to serving as State Superintendent of Education, he served as the Executive Director of the School Superintendents of Alabama, superintendent of Jacksonville City School System, assistant principal, and principal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Jacksonville State University and Master’s, Education Specialist, and Doctoral degrees from The University of Alabama.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mackey has been an advocate for increased rigor and advanced high school courses as well as challenging elementary and middle school courses that prepare students for high school. He believes schools must transform from an industrial model to one more attuned to the information age. A model that is both challenging and highly interesting for students.
Dr. Mackey is also engaged in his community. Among his many civic commitments, he serves on the Executive Committee of the Tukabatchee Area Council, BSA. He is president of the Montgomery Rotary Club and teaches high school youth at Woodland United Methodist Church.
He and his wife, Robin, have three sons.