Donna Phillips, JD, MSSW
Executive Director
McLennan County DRC
900 Austin Ave, Suite 502
PO Box 1488
Waco, TX 76703-1488
Phone: 254-752-0955
Fax: 254-752-0966
drcwaco@hot.rr.com

Donna Phillips is an Attorney-Mediator and brings a wealth of experience, training and talent to the position. Most recently, she practiced law in Tarrant, Dallas and surrounding Counties. Her law practice has been primarily focused in the areas of Family Law (including divorce, modification, adoption and Child Protective Services), Probate, Property, Landlord/Tenant, Employment, and Contract matters.

A Texas Mediator Credentialing Association Credentialed Mediator, in addition to the Basic 40-hour training required for Texas mediators, Phillips has advanced and specialized training in Family, Juvenile-Offender, and Child Protective Services and Foster Care Mediation. Phillips often serves as subject-matter expert presenter for both Basic and Family Mediator training and has been an active volunteer Attorney-Mediator for Dispute Resolution Services of North Texas (DRS, Fort Worth).

In her private practice as Attorney-Mediator, Phillips focused on Family and CPS cases as well as Probate, Employment Discrimination, Property and other civil matters.

Committed to the advancement of the profession, Mrs. Phillips has been a presenter in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs at DRS Fort Worth, Texas Women’s University, Denton, Texas, and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. She acts as a Coach for Texas Wesleyan Law School traveling competition teams in the categories of Representation in Mediation (she was American Bar Association Student Regional Champion as a student herself), as well as Client Interviewing and Counseling (a category she also won Regional Championship as a student.)

Phillips is a member of the Association of Attorney Mediators (AAM), the State of Texas, Tarrant County and Dallas County Bar Association ADR Sections, Texas Association of Mediators (TAM), Texas Mediation Trainers Roundtable (TMTR), American Bar Association Advisory Panel on Family Law and ADR, and the Texas Mediator Credentialing Association (TMCA).

Prior to entering law school, Donna Phillips earned a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) and worked in several capacities for the State of Texas, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly AFDC), Child Protective Services, Adoptions, and Child Care Licensing.

Phillips also has extensive career experience in business, having worked for a large company in Computer Operations, Credit/Billing and Collections, Customer Service, and Organizational Training and Development.