The Two Lives of Donna Jo McDaniel
A certain fascination surrounds people who assume more than one identity – Clark Kent, better known as Superman, and Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, for example.
These characters are fictional with superpowers bequeathed to them by a writer, but Donna Jo McDaniel is a real-live Pittsburgher. With her special abilities, she excels in two identities: President Judge of the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County and proud single mother of three adopted daughters.
“People often refer to my role as a judge and mother as a juggling act,” Donna Jo says. “In reality, the most challenging juggling comes from being both a sitting judge and the President Judge.”
Donna Jo became the first woman to serve as president of the 200-year-old court in 2008. Her path to the leadership of Common Pleas Court began at Muskingum University and Northern Ohio University law school. The Coraopolis native and Sewickley resident has served as a public defender and a city of Pittsburgh magistrate. She was elected to the Common Pleas Court in 1985.
“Although I was very proud and appreciative of my colleagues' confidence in making me the president judge, carrying a full judicial load while working on budgets, meeting with judges and dealing with problems keeps my work plate completely full.”
But there's always room for her family.
Her life as a single mother began in 1980 after watching a TV report on the plight of refugee children. Thinking about the impact she could make on a child's life, Donna Jo began to consider adoption.
“A thousand thoughts went through my mind. I thought about not having a spouse to share the responsibilities and of being the only one to attend teacher conferences and softball games. I also realized my only source of income would come from my professional career. I knew that I would have to dramatically reorganize my life and my priorities.”
After several months of soul searching and deliberation, she went to Korea and started the long, complicated process of adopting 10-year-old Lindsay. Four years later, 8-year-old Korean orphan Jamie joined the family. The girls became United States citizens and adapted to life in Southwestern Pennsylvania. With a satisfying career and two lovely daughters, Donna Jo felt her life was complete.
But 13 years after the second adoption, a then-52-year-old Donna Jo decided to adopt a third daughter. This time she went to China. After an agonizing wait of more than a year, 3-year-old Sydney, named by her new older sisters, became a McDaniel.
Today, Donna Jo's “girls” have families of their own. Lindsay is 39, a mother of two and works as an administrative assistant. Jaime, 33, a graduate student studying education at Robert Morris University, is expecting her second child. Both live within 10 minutes of Donna Jo and 15-year-old Sydney, who attends Our Lady of Sacred Heart High School.
“I began as an adopting parent,” Donna Jo says, “thinking I would help my children by giving them an opportunity for a good education and a better life. What I learned is they have given me happiness, joy and a fulfillment I otherwise would never have had. It's the difference between coming home at the end of the day to an empty house and coming home to an ear-to-ear smile on the face of someone who loves me and whom I love.”
