After three decades of working in the entertainment industry,
Dowless has cast her efforts toward developing her own Arts and Entertainment consulting Company, XOXO Media Group based in Orlando,Florida. Her firm specializes in developing strategic alliances and identifying growth and development opportunities for Arts and Entertainment Clients. She also continues to focus on the development of her artistic career as an Award winning mixed-media artist and was recently selected by Orlando Magazine as the city’s No.1 local artist. Her desire to create is continuously fed by her encounters with many inspirational artists and entertainers, each of whom have left indelible impressions on her over the years. Her muses include Andy Warhol, who encouraged her by voicing…”If you are an artist in your heart, so be it.”
Ms. Dowless joined Ticketmaster in September, 1987 as the Executive Director of Ticketmaster‑Florida. In August of 1996 she was appointed Executive Vice President of the Southeast Region. In October of 2003 she was promoted to Executive Vice President of Industry Relations and served in this position through June, 2006.
Prior to joining Ticketmaster, Ms. Dowless served as Executive Director of the Lakeland (FL) Civic Center, Assistant Director of the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland and Assistant Manager of the District of Columbia Armory Board and the RFK Memorial Stadium.
She has been an active member of the International Association of Auditorium Managers (I.A.A.M.) serving as Director at large for arenas, Chairperson of the Arena Committee, the Committee for Programming and Planning and has been a panelist at both district and national levels, as well as being a member of the founding Board of Regents and an instructor for the I.A.A.M. Foundation Oglebay School for Public Assembly Facility Management and served on the Board of Directors for the I.A.A.M. Foundation. Dowless was recently recognized by Venues Today as one of the Top 5 Women of Influence in the Entertainment Industry.
Ms. Dowless is a current member of I.A.A.M. and INTIX. She was the 2005 recipient of the Joseph J. Anzivino Distinguished Allied Member Lifetime Achievement Award. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Downtown Orlando Arts District, the Board of the After School All Stars and is a Trustee for the Maitland Arts Center. Donna also serves a a member of the Full Sail Entertainment Business Advisory Board and is a guest speaker for the graduating classes. She served as a Special Events advisor for Lawton Chiles, former Governor of the State of Florida.