Donna Marie (aka Mrs. Padilly) was just a teenager and a fifth-generation Chicagoan when her family moved to Houston, Texas, in 1980.
Wanting to assimilate quickly into becoming a Texan, she learned to two-step at Gilley’s in Pasadena, Texas —the honky-tonk nightclub made famous by the movie Urban Cowboy —and began a career in Houston’s oil industry.
She left the oil industry in 1989, transitioning into higher education as an Admissions Coordinator and Academic Advisor at Our Lady of the Lake University, and later completing a Master’s degree at the University of Houston.
In 1995, she began teaching and enjoyed a 16-year teaching career in visual communications as Lead Faculty for Lone Star College-Kingwood, TX. She authored a few non-fiction publications during her teaching years, with the bulk of her professional writing focused on curriculum development and grant writing.
With a never-ending yearning for travel and her own creative projects, she left teaching in 2011 and began travel blogging under her pen name, Mrs. Padilly @ MrsPadillysTravels.com.
Donna Marie’s life is a canvas of interests and passions. From her travels on land and sea, her passion for storytelling, and her love for Jo Jo (a snow fairy princess), she lives a life of creativity and adventure.
Donna Marie published her first children’s book, an illustrated poem titled Mrs. Padilly’s Garden Poem, on September 29, 2023. It is the first of three children’s books in her “Mrs. Padilly’s Garden” series. This website’s focus is on her garden of creativity.
When she’s not writing, creating, or traveling, Donna Marie enjoys life along the rivers in Western Kentucky with her husband, Mike, and their beloved pet, Roxie the Schnoxie. They share a passion for boating and began their first cruise along America’s Great Loop in June 2024. You can follow their boating adventures on their Facebook page, Looping on Serenity, or visit their website at LoopingOnSerenity.com.
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Professional Background:
Books:
- “Mrs. Padilly’s Garden Poem“, September 29, 2023
- To order your copy, click here. ISBN: 978-1733364218
- “Happy Camper: Camping Journal and RV Logbook“, May 31, 2019
- To order your copy, click here. ISBN: 978-1099645792
Other Publications:
- MrsPadillysTravels.com Content Creator for her blog about camping, glamping, and boating. Includes travel articles, reviews, trailer makeovers, how-tos, and downloads. Launched in 2012 to present.
- CHEMFLOW Products, LLC developed the company’s brand and website, including numerous newsletters, posters, flyers, and displays. From 2009 to December 2023.
- “Who is the Graphic Designer?” “Growth” Magazine, The Woodlands, Texas, April 15, 2007.
- Envision newsletter – Published twice a year (Fall/Spring). As lead faculty, she used this newsletter to inform students, the college, and the community about the visual communications program. She served as the primary writer, photographer, layout designer*, and editor.
- “Plato has a point,” award-winning essay. North Harris College, Ellipse, 1991
Professional Career:
- Mrs. Padilly (pen name) / StudioDMJ – Freelance Writer / Blogger / Artist / Content Creator — 2011 to Present.
- Digital Marketing Manager, CHEMFLOW Products, LLC, Tomball, TX — 2018 to December 2023.
- Professor of Visual Communications, Lone Star College-Kingwood, Kingwood, TX — 1995 to 2011.
Notable Achievements & Awards:- Leadership Academy – Academy Fellow – January 2010
- Visual Communication Multimedia Track – Texas State Recognition – January 2009
- Visual Communication Graphic Design Track – Texas State Recognition – January 2008
- Faculty Excellence Award – Lone Star College-Kingwood · January 2005
Donna Marie @ Mrs. Padilly's Garden 