Donna Harris-Aikens, J.D.

Associate Secretary for Government & External Affairs

Donna M. Harris-Aikens serves as Associate Secretary for Government & External Affairs at the Delaware Department of Education, where she leads the Department’s engagement with policymakers, partners, and communities to advance opportunities and outcomes for students across the state.

Harris-Aikens brings more than two decades of experience advancing public education and elevating educator voice in policy and practice. She previously served as the Education Secretary's Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Planning, and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Education, helping shape federal education policy, strengthen stakeholder engagement, and guide the strategic deployment of historic federal investments in schools and students. She also represented the United States on the OECD Education Policy Committee.

Earlier, Harris-Aikens spent nearly 15 years at the National Education Association, where she led national education policy and advocacy initiatives and worked with educators and state affiliates across the country to translate the experiences of students and educators into policy and practice. Her career has also included leadership roles with SEIU and Advance CTE and advising education, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations through Vergarde Strategies.

Harris-Aikens earned her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from James Madison University. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and is immediate past president of the JMU Political Science Alumni Board.