About Donna
Donna Nesselbush has been an active and dedicated Rhode Islander for more than 40 years. Elected in 2010, she represented District 15 in the Rhode Island State Senate and was a member of the Committees on Judiciary, Housing and Government, and Health and Human Services.
Since 2004, Donna has served the City of Pawtucket as the Chief Judge of the Municipal Traffic and Housing Court. She is also the President of the Rhode Island Municipal Court Judge’s Association.
Upon graduating from Brown University in 1984, Donna was awarded the Sarah Doyle Prize in recognition of her significant contribution to women both on campus and in the community.
That same year, Donna became the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence where she served for seven years. In 2004, at the organization’s 25th-anniversary celebration, she was commemorated for outstanding leadership and service to victims of abuse.
A cum laude graduate of Suffolk University Law School in 1991, Donna has dedicated her legal career to representing thousands of injured and disabled Rhode Islanders.
A small business owner and advocate, Donna co-founded Marasco & Nesselbush, a premier law firm that employs more than 60 individuals and handles thousands of legal cases every year. In 2015, she co-founded Revolution Fitness with her wife Kelly Carse.
Today she is a member of the Rhode Island and American Associations for Justice. Previously, she served on the Board of Directors for the ACLU Rhode Island Chapter and was a member of Lawyers for Equality and Diversity. She is also the founder and chair of the Rhode Island Bar Association’s Social Security Disability Law Subcommittee.
A passionate advocate for victims of domestic abuse, women’s rights, and the disadvantaged, Donna has received accolades from the United States Department of Justice, Rhode Island Bar Association, Travelers Aid Society of Rhode Island (currently Crossroads), and the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless.
In the past, Donna served on the Rhode Island Supreme Court Task Force on Domestic Violence, served as President and on the Board of Directors of Progreso Latino, and volunteered for Proyecto Esperanza (Project Hope).
Donna lives in Pawtucket and, in addition to English, is proud to be fluent in Spanish, and conversant in Italian and Portuguese.
