Biography

Kathy O’Donnell is Senior Vice President, Head of Public Affairs for Citizens. She joined the bank in 1995 as a Public Relations Manager. She was promoted to Vice President, Director of Public Relations, in 2000, named Vice President, Director of the Rhode Island Public Affairs group in 2004 and in 2005, she was promoted to Senior Vice President. She was named Head of Public Affairs in this footprint-wide role in 2009.  

O’Donnell leads local Public Affairs teams throughout the country and serves as a key public affairs resource for Citizens’ senior executives. She supports the company’s strategic plan through its community-based, local delivery model by ensuring that Citizens is actively engaged in the communities where it conducts business.  She manages Citizens’ charitable contributions, philanthropic activities with a focus on workforce development and financial empowerment, local execution of national partnerships, executive engagement and thought leadership, community convening and outreach, volunteerism and board service, community content and local sponsorships. Additionally, she oversees the bank’s signature programs including Champions in Action® – a program she helped design – which provides a financial contribution and volunteers to lesser-known nonprofit organizations. The program is offered in seven of Citizens’ markets and leverages media partnerships to provide promotional support to build awareness about the organizations’ work to address pressing community needs. Since its inception in 2002, the program has invested more than $11 million dollars to more than 380 nonprofits.

O’Donnell is passionate about coaching and mentoring her colleagues, college students and early career individuals interested in careers in corporate philanthropy, communications, public relations and nonprofit management. She began the internship program in Public Affairs hosting dozens of students looking to gain course credit and meaningful experience in the field, some of whom were hired after graduation by Citizens. O’Donnell always finds time to host informational interviews with potential interns, recent college graduates, those looking for a career change, or those looking for work. She is always willing to share her experiences with others so they may learn from her challenges and successes and is known for providing guidance to these individuals to help them progress to the next level in their careers.

Prior to her time at Citizens, O’Donnell worked in the nonprofit sector as the RI Director of Development for the American Diabetes Association (ADA), where she began the agency’s formula fundraising introducing its annual Walktoberfest and Tour de Cure fundraising bike ride. At the time of her departure, the bike ride was ADA’s second largest bike ride in the country only 3 years in and continues today. She also worked as a reporter in radio news and a coordinator in radio promotions.

O’Donnell is also passionate about public service and serves on the board of directors for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank where she chairs the agency’s Governance Committee and chaired the successful “Empty Bowls” event for five years raising over $1M for hungry individual and families across the state.  She serves on the board of the Keri Anne O’Donnell Memorial Fund and is a former board member of Day One. She chaired the development committee of Children’s Friend & Service in Providence, where she also was an agency board member from 2002 to 2009. Under her leadership, the agency introduced two signature, annual fundraising events – the Corporate Luncheon and Walk-a-thon – both continue today.

O’Donnell is a 2004 graduate of the Omega Class of Leadership Rhode Island and completed the 2005 Babson College Advanced Leadership Development Program. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island (URI), where she earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Journalism and Communications Studies, and a minor in Psychology. She is an active member of URI’s Harrington School of Communication and Media Executive Advisory Board, the College of Arts and Sciences’ Advisory Committee, chaired with her husband Bill White URI’s Parents Council, and serves on the College’s Foundation Board Nominating Committee. She also served multiple terms on the University’s Alumni Association Board.

In 2015, O’Donnell was recognized at URI’s Distinguished Achievement Awards with the exclusive Dean’s Award for the College of Arts and Sciences. She received the prestigious Girls Scouts of Southeastern New England Leading Women Award in 2016 for leading by example and exemplifying the Girl Scout mission of developing girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. O’Donnell also was named to Providence Business News’ “40 Under Forty” list.

She and her husband live in South Kingstown, Rhode Island with their children Charlie and Molly.