Nationwide Children’s Hospital is among the Columbus region’s most esteemed organizations, and it continues to grow in both size and reputation. One of the key contributors to that growth for the past 30 years has been Donna Teach.
Teach, the nonprofit’s chief marketing and communication officer, has devoted both time and talent to help build multiple aspects of the organization. From new patient towers, research buildings and the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion, to transformative programs such as the Kids Mental Health Foundation, she has shepherded initiatives that raise the bar of pediatric care for children in Columbus and beyond. Teach joined the hospital in 1996 after a decade at OhioHealth and has held her current post since 2011.
Stay connected to the region’s business community. Subscribe to Insider, Columbus CEO’s newsletter.
“For an astounding 29 years, Donna Teach has been the marketing and communications force behind the largest pediatric hospital and research institute in the country,” says nominator and friend Lisa Hinson, a 2025 Inspiring Women honoree. “Donna is widely recognized for not only her professional talent, but for her compassion for patients and their families, as well as her love of Columbus.”
Teach received the 2025 Leadership Excellence Award from the American Hospital Association’s Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development. She is a former member of the SHSMD Advisory Board and former board chair of Goodwill Columbus.
Who or what have been career or personal influences? I was blessed to have a “girl dad” who taught me I could be anything I set my mind to. My CEO, Tim Robinson, has been an incredible role model—it’s been an honor to work alongside him for 30 years. John Wolfe shaped my understanding of our community in lasting ways. And my heart is with all the wise women in my life—too many to list here but I owe my career to Margie Pizzuti, and I am inspired by so many amazing women in communication like Lisa Hinson. Grateful to them all.
What is your greatest wish for 2026? My greatest wish for 2026 is that more women feel confident using their voice and owning their story. I hope we keep showing up for each other, choosing courage over comfort, and lifting one another up with love and laughter along the way. And for the young girls watching us, I hope they see what’s possible—growing up in a world where they feel safe, supported, and believe they can be anything—because they can!
This story appears in the Summer 2026 issue of Columbus CEO as part of the Inspiring Women feature package. Read more stories of Inspiring Women from Columbus CEO and Columbus Monthly. Subscribe now.
This article originally appeared on Columbus CEO: Donna Teach Amplifies the Work of Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Reporting by Julanne Hohbach, Columbus CEO / Columbus CEO
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
