Maura W. Donahue

Past Chair of the Board of Directors and Member of the Senior Council
U.S. Chamber of Commerce

President, DonahueFavret Contractors Holding Company

Maura W. Donahue is a highly visible and vocal advocate of small business issues, helping lead the Chamber’s efforts to rein in skyrocketing health care costs, bring frivolous litigation under control, and reduce burdensome government regulations. She has been on the Chamber’s Council on Small Business for more than 10 years, 5 as chair. She has also been instrumental in strengthening the Chamber Federation, helping roll out a new U.S. Chamber membership program.

Donahue brings credibility to the debate on small business issues because of her success as a small business owner. She is president of DonahueFavret Contractors Holding Company and executive vice president of DonahueFavret Contractors, Inc., a leader in the Gulf South construction industry. The company, which has served a variety of state and national clients for more than 30 years, performs a wide spectrum of building projects, including commercial, hospitality, health care, retail, educational, and institutional construction. Among its many achievements, DonahueFavret has won 15 prestigious awards for Construction Excellence awarded by the National Association of Builders and Contractors.

Donahue has long been an active leader in local chambers and economic development organizations. She serves on the boards of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, Northshore Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, and Resource Bank. Formerly, she was on the boards of the State of Louisiana Board of Commerce & Industry, Greater New Orleans Inc., the St. Tammany Parish Economic Development Foundation and chaired the board of the St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce.

She is a graduate of Leadership St. Tammany West and was awarded its Leadership Alumni of the Year, as well as Woman of the Year by the New Orleans Publishing Group. Donahue chaired a Women Build home for the Habitat for Humanity in 2004 and 2009 and was awarded Person of the Year by the Associated Builders and Contractors Bayou Chapter. She was inducted into the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in 2008.

Donahue, a lifetime resident of Louisiana, and her husband, Jack, live in Covington, Louisiana. Their blended family includes 6 children and 17 grandchildren.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.