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Candidate Details

SMUS Board Service: 3 years as a SMUS Board Member. Current Chair of the Risk Management Committee and currently serves on the Sustainability Committee. Previously also served on the Advancement Committee and the Board of the American Friends of SMUS.

Relationship to SMUS: Alumna ’82

Primary Occupation: Physician Executive/Healthcare Consultant

Place of Residence: San Francisco, California

Key Contributions, Attributes and Qualities:

• Dr. Fiona Donald has taken on the Chair role for the Risk Management Committee, working to bring further focus and rigour to risk management at the Board and in collaboration with the School’s leadership.
• Dr. Fiona Donald is a Physician Executive/Healthcare Consultant with over 30 years’ experience in the field of health care delivery, administration and leadership. She has worked tirelessly in a variety of healthcare settings from Montreal to San Francisco, providing service to patients with complex care needs and leading change during difficult times.
• Fiona is also a mother of two daughters who attended independent schools in San Francisco where she volunteered in various Parents Association roles.

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Nomination Q&A

1. Please provide a general candidate overview, that summarizes your background experience including your professional and educational background.

Dr. Fiona Donald is a Physician Executive and Healthcare Consultant with over 35 years of experience in healthcare delivery, administration, and leadership.

As a physician leader with expertise in managed care and patient-centred care, Fiona has specialised in strategic planning and led the development and implementation of novel integrated care models for individuals with complex health and social needs. As Chief Medical Officer of San Francisco Health Plan during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was part of the city's health leadership team — under her leadership, San Francisco Health Plan participants achieved the highest rates of COVID vaccination among Medi-Cal beneficiaries in California.

Since November 2022, Fiona has operated her own firm, Fiona Donald Consulting LLC, providing strategic and technical assistance to health systems, community health centres, and community-based organisations across California.

Fiona brings a unique set of skills and perspectives to the SMUS Board, including deep insights into the evolving world of work, the critical importance of whole-person wellbeing for success in everyday life, and the value of balance and the pursuit of passion. She is also a mother of two daughters who attended independent schools in San Francisco, where she volunteered extensively in Parents Association roles — giving her a clear-eyed appreciation of the role that community engagement and philanthropy play in the life of a school.

2. If a new Governor candidate, please describe how you meet the desired experience and skills areas as set forth in the January 23, 2026, Call for Nominations. If a returning Governor candidate, please describe what unique skills and experience you bring to the Board, together with how you have contributed to the Board and the work of its Committees during your time on the Board.

During my first term on the SMUS Board, I had the privilege of serving as Chair of the Risk Management Committee and as a member of the Environmental and Sustainability Committee. In both roles, I worked to bring structure, expertise, and momentum to the work of the Board.

As Chair of the Risk Management Committee, I worked closely with the Head of School and the Senior Leadership Team to support the school's approach to risk oversight and reporting to the Board. During my term, I recruited new Committee members with public and private sector risk management experience, significantly expanding the Committee's depth of expertise. I led an update to the Risk Management section of the Governing Board Manual to reflect current best practices, developed annual strategic and tactical goals for the Committee, and established a regular cadence of progress reporting to the full Board.

As a member of the Environmental and Sustainability Committee, I contributed to monitoring the school's energy sustainability goals. I was proud to support two significant milestones: the delivery of SMUS's first all-electric school bus, and the initiation of an ecological and environmental assessment of the school's property — important groundwork for future campus planning decisions.

The skills I bring to this work are grounded in my career as a physician executive — navigating complex, regulated environments, leading teams through institutional change, and communicating risk and strategy clearly to boards and leadership teams. As a Class of 1982 alumna, I also bring a long and personal connection to SMUS's values and culture that I believe adds a distinctive perspective to the Board's deliberations.

3. What is your Connection to SMUS

I am an alumna of SMUS, Class of 1982. My sisters also attended SMUS — Gillian Donald '85, Betsy Donald '86, and Sarah Donald '90. Prior to joining the Board, I was a member of the American Friends of SMUS for over ten years.

My sister Gillian worked in the SMUS Advancement office in Alumni Relations from 2009 to 2017. Gillian's son, Ben Keep, attended SMUS from Grade 5 and graduated with the Class of 2017.

I loved my time at SMUS and have enjoyed many ongoing personal connections with fellow alumni over the past 40 years. Since joining the Board of Governors in 2023, that connection has deepened further through my Committee work, my engagement with school leadership, and my ongoing personal contributions to the school. I feel a genuine sense of pride and responsibility in representing the school's interests as a Governor.

4. Why Do You Want to Be on the Board of Governors of SMUS

SMUS provided me with a strong foundation for my life, and I have been fortunate to stay connected to the school as a member of the Board of Governors. Over the past three years, I have developed a deep understanding of the Board's priorities, the school's strategic direction, and the relationships and culture that underpin effective governance — knowledge that I believe makes me a more valuable contributor now than when I first joined.

In a second term, I would seek to build and strengthen ongoing relationships with the Board and the wider school community, and to continue the progress we have made together in the Risk Management and Environmental and Sustainability Committees.

I believe in the power and value of lifelong learning across all facets of life — intellectual, physical, social, and spiritual. I am excited to continue supporting SMUS as an institution that builds that foundation through its mission of courage, compassion, and academic excellence, and its vision of respect, courage, honesty, and service.

I am motivated to help ensure that SMUS continues to be that kind of institution for generations to come, and I see my continued service on the Board as one meaningful way I can contribute to that goal.

5. What personal and professional experience would you bring to the Board if selected?

For the past two decades, I have worked in healthcare administration and leadership in California's Medicaid system, focused on improving access, quality, and equity of care for low-income Californians. I have served as Chief Medical Officer at two regional health plans — Health Plan of San Mateo and San Francisco Health Plan — working as part of executive teams that reported to Boards of Governors. That experience gave me a direct and practical understanding of the Board-leadership relationship and the strategic oversight role that boards play in complex organisations.

Since 2022, I have operated my own consulting firm, continuing to work on population health strategy and health care systems integration across California. This work has deepened my skills in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and navigating change in large, multi-stakeholder environments — all directly relevant to my governance responsibilities at SMUS.

On a personal level, I bring the perspective of a long-standing alumna who cares deeply about this school. My three sisters and nephew are also SMUS alumni and have remained connected to the SMUS community. My daughters attended independent schools in San Francisco: I participated in Parents Associations and witnessed the Board-school partnership through challenging times — including the pandemic years at the Grade 10, 11, and 12 level — I understand the importance of thoughtful, committed governance from the inside.

6. Do you understand and agree to the principles of Good Governance as outlined on the Society web page?

Yes, I fully understand and agree to the principles of good governance as outlined on the SMUS Society web page.

My appreciation for good governance is grounded in direct professional experience. Throughout my career as a physician executive, I have worked within highly regulated environments that require the highest standards of integrity, confidentiality, fiduciary responsibility, and sound judgement. Having worked alongside and reported to Boards of Governors in my executive roles, I understand clearly the distinction between the Board's strategic oversight function and the operational responsibilities of school leadership — and I am committed to respecting that boundary.

During my first term on the SMUS Board, I have approached my responsibilities with care and diligence. I prepare thoroughly for Board and Committee meetings, hold all discussions in strict confidence, and am mindful of potential conflicts of interest. I believe firmly that Governors must act in the best interests of the school as a whole — its students, staff, alumni, parents, and broader community — and I am committed to upholding that principle fully in my second term.

7. Do you understand and support the Floreat strategic plan for SMUS?

Yes, absolutely. I have read and engaged with the Floreat strategic plan and I support it wholeheartedly as the framework guiding SMUS's future.

The strategic priorities — Foundation, Preparation for Life, Sustainability, and Community — are clearly articulated and meaningfully grounded in the school's mission and values. What I particularly appreciate about Floreat is that it was developed through extensive dialogue with the SMUS community, which gives it both legitimacy and resonance. Each priority has actionable items associated with it, while retaining the flexibility needed to respond to evolving circumstances.

In my Committee work during my first term, I have seen first-hand how Floreat provides genuine direction for planning and decision-making. I am particularly aligned with the Preparation for Life and Sustainability pillars. My career has reinforced my belief that supporting the whole person — physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually — is essential to enabling individuals to thrive. I also contributed directly to the Sustainability pillar through my work monitoring the school's energy goals and supporting the initiation of the ecological assessment of the school's property.

In my second term, I look forward to continuing to support the execution of Floreat with the same commitment and engagement I have brought to my first term.

8. Do you understand and support the need for a culture of philanthropy at SMUS, both amongst the Society Members and the Board itself? And if elected to the Board, please confirm that you plan to contribute to both the Annual Fund and the Journey For Life Campaign for each year that you are on the Board?

Yes, I understand and fully support the need for a culture of philanthropy at SMUS, among both Society Members and the Board itself.

Having lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 25 years, I have been part of independent school communities in which philanthropy is an expected and understood dimension of school participation — from the annual fund to capital campaigns to endowment building. Starting from preschool through to university, the schools my daughters attended were clear and open about the importance of both time and financial contributions from their parent communities. I am deeply familiar with — and supportive of — that culture, and I believe SMUS is at an important and exciting stage in building it.

During my first term, I have made annual contributions to SMUS, to be used at the school's discretion. If elected to a second term, I confirm my commitment to contributing to SMUS for each year I serve on the Board. I see this not as a formality, but as a genuine expression of the belief and investment in the school that Board membership represents.

I also appreciate that the Board must take a visible leadership role in philanthropy — not only through personal contributions, but by actively championing a culture of giving across the wider SMUS community. I am committed to advocating for philanthropy among alumni, current and past parents, and Society Members with the same conviction I bring to all of my governance responsibilities.

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