Donna Manganello

Senior Program Manager

Donna is a dedicated youth programs manager who has spent most of her career managing and operating youth programs throughout New York. Donna joined Creative Art Works as a Program Manager in 2022 and implements our elementary and middle school programs as well as our Summer Youth Employment Program partnerships. In 2025, Donna was appointed to the Partnership for After School Education's Community Council, a select cohort that provides input, accountability, and direction to ensure its programming is responsive to the needs of the field.

Prior to joining Creative Art Works, Donna spent 10 years at the Manhattan School of Music, where she was the Director of MSM Summer, an intensive music program for students ages 8 to 17 from around the world. Additionally, she was the Assistant Director of Community Partnerships, providing music programming to more than 2,500 NYC schoolchildren and residents. Donna volunteered for 10 years as a Team Leader with New York Cares, where her responsibilities included teaching weekly after-school dance classes for K-8 students in a transitional family shelter and acting as a mentor to newly trained team leaders.

Donna holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in music from St. John’s University, and a master’s degree in applied psychology with an emphasis in child and adolescent development from Adler University. She is a proud NYC public school parent.