Education
Jefferson College, Hillsboro, Missouri – Associate’s Degree
Professional
Donna brings more than 17 years of professional experience to Gatewood, with a career grounded in client service, operations, and process improvement. She began in retail banking at Bank of America, PNC Bank, and Midwest BankCentre, where she focused on consumer relationships, lending, and growing local employer partnerships through the bank’s MBC@Work program.
In 2013, Donna transitioned into wealth management as Operations Manager at LPL Financial (formerly M&M Wealth Management), where she spent more than a decade overseeing daily operations for a multimillion dollar advisory practice serving roughly 900 clients. Her work spanned account opening, 401(k) rollovers, life and annuity placement, fee billing, compliance audit preparation, and CRM data integrity. As her firm’s “Technology Ambassador,” she implemented eSignature within her first year and consistently identified process improvements that streamlined operations and elevated the client experience.
At Gatewood, Donna serves as a Client Service Associate, where she owns the end-to-end onboarding experience for new clients. She coordinates account opening, asset transfers, and custodial paperwork while serving as the primary operational liaison between the Business Development team, Wealth Advisors, and Client Service teams. Her goal is to ensure every new client begins their relationship with Gatewood feeling organized, informed, and confident. Donna also plans to pursue her securities industry licenses.
Personal
Donna is married to Joe, and together they have three children: Kellyn (11), Joseph (8), and Audrey (7). She is a self-described “Competition Dance Mom” to her two daughters, who keep her busy shuttling between studios for dance and tumbling. The Friedhoff family also includes Lucy, the dog Donna adores, and Penny, the cat with whom she shares a mutually indifferent relationship.
The family attends Pathfinder Church in Ellisville, Missouri, where Donna leads the 0-1 Nursery during the 9am service and serves as Co-Director of STEAM for Summer Blast Vacation Bible School. Summer is her favorite time of year, spent poolside with her family. When she finds free time, Donna enjoys a tech-free outing with friends, preferably outdoors on a patio. And if she could travel anywhere in the world, it would be Disney World, again.