An Interview with Senator Donna Frett-Gregory- A True Public Servant: Part II
Being a lifelong public servant is a commitment that not everyone makes a concerted effort to become. Yet, back home in the US Virgin Islands, sitting senator Donna Frett-Gregory exemplifies what it means to be just that!
In part I of her interview with EIMO, Sen. Frett- Gregory (read here) shares that she defines success by her ability to give of herself. In order to become a public servant, one must consistently push past self in just about every aspect of life, while maintaining a strong sense of self. Plainly put, it is NOT easy! But, as the adage goes, “to whom much is given much is expected”, so it is of no surprise that Donna Frett-Gregory adapted a mindset that allows her to rise to the occasion, both personally and professionally.
In Part II of our interview, Sen. Frett-Gregory is transparent and candid about defining professional moments that helped to transform her into the dedicated public servant that she is today.
EIMO: Attaining success without experiencing change is impossible. How have you embraced change at pivotal moments in your life?
DFG: I step back. How I coin it is...a lot of times when there’s a lot of different energies going on around me associated with change overall (ie. retiring, moving into the senate), I kind of look down on it. I call it standing on the balcony. I look down from the balcony, and look down on the whole situation, and that helps me to determine the direction I am going to go in.
I’ll give you an example of something that happened to me because you talked about embracing change and this was a very pivotal moment. I am a new senator and I was elected the number one vote getter. When the Legislature was being organized, I was asked to be the chair of the Finance committee and also the Vice President of the Senate. Now, as a new senator, I don’t know all of the inner workings or energies, as I call them, and synergy that’s occurring behind the scenes of the new environment there. At the same time, there was a coup going on where some of us were removed from our positions. When that happened I did not push back on it, I continued along my way doing my work as if it was not happening. I pretended that I didn’t know, so they felt that I didn’t know. The day that it did happen, I decided to pick up my mantle and continue to do the work of the people. That’s an example of how I embrace change. I don’t allow change to consume me, whether it be negative or good, positive change. At that time I saw that as an opportunity to be the best Donna I can be as a legislator. I found that sometimes when you’re a part of a whole group of people, you can’t really express yourself the way you want. So, I embraced that particular situation...I stepped back and I said to myself, “I am going to continue to do the work of the people of the Virgin Islands” and because I did that, I gained the respect of my colleagues. I basically embrace change from the perspective of first stepping back, then stepping right into it, and doing what I need to do with grace. I make sure not to allow change to impact me negatively. If it’s negative change, I don’t allow it to impact me. I find the good in change and I move forward. Positive change, that’s easy! The change I experienced has allowed me to blossom as a new senator here in the Virgin Islands because I am able to be me. I am able to express myself, share information from the perspective that I would like to share it from, and I am able to lay my ideas on the table without being concerned. Most times, my colleagues jump on board.
I’m not one to wear my heart on my sleeve. I find that in organizations, that’s the expectation for women. I have whatever challenges I have and I go out there and do what I gotta do.
A lot of times women like myself are misunderstood. When I was a lot younger, I would feel a way about it. Men would often joke and say, “I need you to behave today”. Now when guys say that to me, I put them in their place. I’m very straightforward, and let them know they do not have the right to say that to me. I believe that women have a place in society, we have made a lot of sacrifices in our communities, and we really have a place. But, we have to figure out how to take that place from a position of confidence. That’s a lot of what impacts us because we are not confident, and we’re too concerned about what everyone thinks about us. However, I’m not, and I don’t care what anyone thinks about me. I don’t take on that energy and I keep it moving.
EIMO: If you could define your life in one word, what would it be and why?
DFG: Transforming. The Donna that you are speaking to today is not the same...I was not always in this place. I grew into the person that I am today. All of us have faults and I would be the last person to say that I am perfect, but I define my life as someone who is transforming everyday. I am willing to learn new things and engage with any and everybody while treating them the same way.
Senator Frett-Gregory during a Finance Committee Hearing on the Hotel Development Act
EIMO: How has being a Virgin Islander helped to shape you into an EXTRAordinary individual?
DFG: You say extraordinary, so I’ll use your word. I’m very humble. I grew up with humble beginnings. I recall being in my father's shop… The village of people in the Virgin Islands is what really helps to shape us into extraordinary people. I grew up around individuals whose circumstances were like mine, in addition to mingling with people who were of other races who respected you. Being from a small island made me curious and fueled the desire to want to stand up and be counted. It’s a wonderful place!
Being a Virgin Islander really helps you to know who you are. We have had an EXTRAordinary opportunity to grow up on this island.
EIMO: Please share a “high” and a “low” that you find to be of significance to your personal growth.
DFG: Let’s talk about the high...I think what was significant to my personal growth was when I went back to work with the Department of Education as the deputy commissioner. At the time, the department was transitioning, changing administration…. and when the new commissioner came in, she immediately recognized my value. I’m very loyal to the work...to people as well, but I’m very task-oriented and I make sure that what we have in front of us, we get it done and move on to the next thing. She recognized this and saw that I was someone she could trust, and so she asked me to be her assistant commissioner of education. This was absent of me being an educator. There were many educators around in the department at the time who she could have asked, but she asked me. That was a high time for me and it helped me. It was significant in my personal growth because it showed me that you don’t necessarily have to be walking in that particular path in your career for people to recognize your value. That was a very high time for me, and of course when my commissioner left, I eventually became the commissioner, not having a degree in education. I was well respected because I was in charge of the finances of that department and I took the time out to learn and understand all the facets of what made the wheels turn, despite how big that department was.
Now this I don’t really consider a low, but it was a time for me to reflect. In the previous administration, I was terminated without cause. I worked as the chief financial officer for the Virgin Islands Port Authority. I came home and decided that this was a good time for me to reflect and decide where I’m going. That also helped me with my personal growth. I felt it was low because I spent a lot of time at home while everyone was going off to work. I really didn’t try to find a job because I didn’t necessarily need one immediately...I’d been working for thirty plus years and I really needed to step back. I had the resources, I was able to cover my mortgage, take care of myself, and I actually bought a car during the full year that I wasn’t working. This period helped me to realize that nothing is really promised, and regardless of whether or not you have the skillset, sometimes people don’t recognize your worth. Also, when it’s time to go, you gotta go! What it did for me is that it helped me to recognize that perhaps if that didn’t happen to me, I would not be a senator today. Maybe down the road, but not today. I was very comfortable with going to work and doing work like that. That time gave me an opportunity to look back, look at my community and say to myself, we have so many things happening here and it’s time to step up and decide to run for office. I will tell you it took everything out of my fiber to do this. This is not a decision that I made lightly and that’s why I don’t play around with it. This took a lot out of me to say yes! I don’t know that I like to be way out front like this, but it is something that I was called to do. All the things that happened to me, the highs and lows, prepared me for where I am today.
Senator Frett-Gregory with WAPA advisors during a hearing.
Senator Frett-Gregory giving a Transfer Day Speech
Senator Donna Frett-Gregory is a proud graduate of the Charlotte Amalie High School Class of 1983. She has served in various capacities, to include senior management in public finance and administration in the Government of the Virgin islands for well over 30 years. She has served as Chief Financial Officer for the Virgin Islands Port Authority, Commissioner of the Department of Education, Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Education and Director of Operations in the Virgin Islands Department of Justice. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University, Master of Arts in Public Administration from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Morgan State University. A dedicated public servant, Senator Frett-Gregory is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Sigma Theta Omega Chapter, where she served as President. She has been recognized for her dedication to education and to her community, receiving several awards, to include the Department of Education Commissioner’s Outstanding Leadership Award and the SPARKS Youth Group Flames of Inspiration Award. Senator Frett-Gregory is a mother of four, and a grandmother of two beautiful grandbabies whom she credits as being one of her reasons for her political service.