Dr. Deanna McMillan

Stewardship@theFoundatPurdue.org
765-337-7373 

Dr. Deanna McMillan has served the Greater Lafayette area as an Educator, an Engineer and in Community service. As the first African American woman in the United States to complete her PhD in Construction Engineering, she is an avid proponent of STEM education, especially for emerging young women.
Dr. D has successfully executed over $600 million in commercial and industrial construction in private industry. Her focus is on quality and consistency in built structures and systems that improve the end user’s quality of life. She has restored or renovated dozens of residential units in areas ranging from West Philadelphia to Baltimore for affordable housing, to Antigua or New Orleans (after Katrina) to compensate for flood damage and in disaster recovery.
Deanna is currently the Director of Development for the Home with Hope - working to provide safe, affordable housing for clients in recovery from substance abuse disorders.
She has also recently joined the staff of the Baptist Student Foundation as their Director of Advancement and has worked with several community service organizations to provide support for marginalized or distressed community members to have choice in how they live to their full potential.
Some of the local agencies include the Daybreak Rotary Club, The Tippecanoe (American) Red Cross and Mental Health America’s Lafayette Crisis Center as a Suicide Prevention Specialist and Rape Survivor Advocate.
 
As a authorized OSHA Safety Trainer, Healthcare Navigator and certified Manufacturing Production Technician Trainer, Deanna supports the Swahili concept of Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility.
In 2016, Deanna had an unsuccessful run for District 26 State Representative. Since that time, she has engaged in numerous civic events and training including serving as co-President of the Greater Lafayette League of Women Voters and undergoing welcome and support training with Immigrant Allies.
She strives to have all areas residents be productive citizens earning a living wage and contributing to the local economy and supporting local business.
Deanna participates as a member of Second Baptist Church and the Diversity Roundtable.
She resides in West Lafayette with grandson Keion and their two hound dogs, Beagly Beagly and Sheba.
Deanna roots for all teams NYC, no matter how bad they’re doing that season and is determined to learn the difference between a flower and a weed and how to grow something out of the ground suitable for eating.❣
 
 
​