Dondieneita (Dei) Fleary-Simmons

Staff List

Title: National Director of Community Engagement
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Profile:
Dondieneita (Dei) Fleary-Simmons
Professional Experience and Philosophy
Dondieneita (pronounced Don-da-nita, also known as Dei, pronounced Dee) brings over 30 years of dedicated service to children, youth, and families. She believes deeply that families and communities have the inherent ability to enhance their own well-being by drawing upon cultural and collective strengths. Her professional practice centers on empowering communities, amplifying their voices, and connecting them to vital resources. She strives to support the implementation of culturally relevant, evidence-informed approaches that respect and honor the perspectives of those she serves, ensuring these practices are both meaningful and sustainable. Dondieneita is recognized as an experienced child welfare administrator, speaker, therapist, and group facilitator.
Education and Career Achievements
Dondieneita earned her MSW /AM in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Her career in child welfare began in Illinois as a supervisor in Intact Family Services, a program focused on strengthening families and preventing out-of-home placements by building parental capacity and support networks. She was instrumental in supervising the first Kinship Foster Care Unit and co-developing the inaugural kinship licensure curriculum. Additionally, she facilitated the Matching for Adoption and Permanence (MAP) program to support families and teens preparing for adoption and co-developed the subsidized guardianship curriculum. She also led the countdown to 21 program assisting youth who had not obtained permanence in transitioning to adulthood. As director of the Wisconsin Bureau of Permanence and Out of Home Care, she oversaw the Foster, Kinship and Adoption programs. Through her work with Spaulding for Children, she provided site consultation on adoption and guardianship reforms in New Jersey, Michigan, Georgia, and with the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. As an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Social Work, she taught courses in social policy, child welfare policy, and diversity and she currently trains and mentors underrepresented emerging leaders in behavioral health for the Wisconsin Department of Health.
Personal Background
On a personal note, Dondieneita is a wife and mother to adult children— four daughters by blessing and two sons by birth. Her youngest son is diagnosed with autism, engaging her family in disability advocacy and Special Olympics.