09/22/2026
✨It is with absolute pleasure that Afro-Am introduces you to our Keynote Speaker for our 53rd Annual Ebony Ball! ✨
Ayonna Blue Donald is a community development leader committed to advancing equitable housing, economic mobility, and transformative investment in communities across the Midwest, including offices in Cleveland, Detroit, and Chicago. As vice president and market leader for the Midwest region at Enterprise Community Partners, Ayonna works at the intersection of housing, community development, capital, and innovation, helping communities and partners develop solutions to some of their most complex challenges.
A longtime public servant for the city of Cleveland, Ayonna served as director of the city’s Department of Building and Housing from 2017 to 2021 and served as the chief of Commercial Services and Governmental Affairs for the Department of Port Control. As the director of Cleveland’s Department of Building and Housing, Ayonna oversaw the enforcement of the city’s land use ordinances; eliminated thousands of vacant and abandoned properties throughout the city; reinstated a systematic rental inspection program; established strong relationships with community leaders; and worked hand in hand with the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition to legislate and implement a lead safe certificate program.
Originally from Detroit, Ayonna first made Cleveland home when she earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. She also holds a juris doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law.
Ayonna currently serves on various boards and commissions, including as Vice Chairs of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and the North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation and a Commissioner of the Beachwood Planning and Zoning Commission. She has served as the president of the Greater Cleveland Delta Foundation Life Development Center and was named a Woman of Note by Crain’s Cleveland Business in 2021.
Beyond her professional work, Ayonna is a proud mother, traveler, and lifelong learner who enjoys exploring cities, discovering new experiences, and creating opportunities for the people and communities around her.
