Donna (Blado) Ulteig attended Tomah High School from 1957 to 1961. She was Co-Valedictorian, Editor of the newspaper, and participated in Student Senate. After graduation, she attended Valparaiso University, double majoring in Social Work and English, and minoring in Psychology. In 1970, she graduated with a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During her career, she spent another 15 years receiving professional training in Interpersonal Reconstructive Therapy and earning her LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) credentials, her DCSW (Diplomate in Clinical Social Work) credentials, which is the highest level of credentialing available, and her ACSW (Academy of Certified Social Worker) credentials, the most widely recognized and respected social work credentials. 

Throughout her 55-year career she worked as an inpatient Clinical Social Worker, was a Preceptor/Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin School of Social Work training graduate students, and in 1985 began working in private practice providing psychotherapy to thousands of clients. She has held many leadership, consulting, and advisory positions, served as both President and Board of Directors with multiple national health care organizations, and completed numerous professional publications. She was awarded both Social Worker of the Year and the NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) Unsung Heroine Award in 1999 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2014. 

Her penchant for service extends past her professional career. In 1965, she marched from Selma to Montgomery, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was selected for the Peace Corps before injuries from a car accident kept her stateside and served in various leadership roles in her church and local ministries.  From 1996-2017 she belonged to the Friends of Chernobyl Centers US (FOCCUS), helping train mental health professionals. 

In her personal life, Donna married Rod Ulteig in 1967 until she was widowed in 2017. She currently lives with her partner Hal Wissink in a 1933 Sears and Roebuck planned English Cottage house where she was selected by Olbrich Gardens of Madison for their 2018 Home Garden Tour. Aside from gardening, Donna enjoys being part of a Book Club, a Gourmet Club, and traveling the world, having visited 46 countries in her almost twenty trips to Europe.