Celebrating Donna Macalle-Holly: 13 Years of Vision, Dedication, and Lasting Impact

May 28, 2026| Community, People

By: Lake Hopatcong Foundation

After 13 years of dedicated service to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, Donna Macalle-Holly is retiring from her role as grants and program director. A longtime lakefront resident with a knack for problem-solving and tracking down opportunities, Donna has been a key member of the Lake Hopatcong staff, and we are forever grateful for her contributions to our organization and to the Lake Hopatcong community, which will be felt for years to come.

Since joining our team in 2013, Donna has helped build, guide, and support a wide range of projects and programs that expanded our reach and strengthened our mission. Her vision and hard work created new opportunities for education, community involvement, and stewardship around Lake Hopatcong. Those who worked alongside Donna know her as someone who not only gets the job done, but gets it done right, and often ahead of schedule. Whether coordinating grants, organizing volunteers, or moving long-term projects forward, she brought a steady commitment to our mission.

One of Donna’s first major projects was establishing a lake-wide community cleanup in conjunction with the lake’s five-year, five-foot drawdown. She led the planning and coordination of the inaugural cleanup in 2013, bringing together municipalities, partner organizations, and hundreds of volunteers to remove debris from the exposed shoreline. The success of that first effort, just a year into our organization’s history, became a defining moment for the Foundation, deepening our connection with the community and highlighting the important role we could play in caring for Lake Hopatcong. Building on that momentum, the tradition continued during the 2018 and 2023 drawdowns, mobilizing hundreds of volunteers and removing tens of thousands of pounds of debris from the lake (28,000 pounds in 2023 alone!) while fostering a lasting culture of stewardship around the lake.

Also early in her tenure, Donna was part of the education team that helped launch the Foundation’s spring educational field trips, bringing elementary school students to Hopatcong State Park to learn about New Jersey’s largest lake, freshwater ecology, and the importance of protecting water resources. What began with a handful of local schools and a couple hundred students has grown into a signature program that now reaches more than 2,000 students from across northern New Jersey annually, with the support of more than 50 dedicated educators and volunteers.

Another major contribution was Donna’s role in the rehabilitation of the historic Lake Hopatcong Station, which now serves as our office and a hub for programs and community engagement. Just one month after the completion of the first phase of the project in June of 2019, Donna coordinated the Smithsonian “Water/Ways” traveling exhibit, which explored the essential role of water in our lives and communities through interactive displays. Over nearly a decade, she secured and managed multiple grants from state, county, and private foundation partners that supported the building’s further restoration and improvement. Through careful coordination and stewardship of these complex, multi-year projects, she helped transform an ambitious vision into a lasting community asset that will support our organization and mission for years to come.

Her dedication was also evident in the development of the Lake Hopatcong Trail. What became a significant community recreation resource began as an ambitious idea and undertaking for a small organization (a staff of just two at the time!). Along with extensive planning and coordination behind the scenes, Donna worked alongside volunteers throughout one very busy spring and summer season as sections of the trail were cleared and connected piece by piece during weekend trail-building efforts. By fall, 11 miles of trail through Hopatcong were complete and opened to the community, creating a lasting recreational resource around Lake Hopatcong.

That same persistence helped bring a Floating Classroom to Lake Hopatcong. Recognizing the opportunity to expand educational programming onto the water, Donna helped rally community support behind an ambitious idea, our own educational boat, by submitting a video proposal to USA TODAY Network’s “A Community Thrives” program. The effort earned a $50,000 grant toward what would become our Floating Classroom, which now serves students, families, and community members through immersive, on-the-water learning experiences.

Donna’s legacy extends far beyond any one project, program, or initiative. In many ways, her impact can be seen in the lasting foundations she helped create for our organization’s future: community cleanups that became enduring traditions, educational field trips that grew into signature programs, the restoration of the historic Lake Hopatcong Station as our permanent home, trails that expanded recreation around the lake, and a Floating Classroom that created entirely new ways for people to experience and learn about Lake Hopatcong, and so much more. 

As Donna begins this exciting next chapter, we offer our deepest thanks for her years of service, her dedication to the mission, and the countless ways she helped move our organization forward.

Donna, thank you for your vision, your commitment, and for helping create programs and opportunities that will continue to benefit the lake and our community for years to come.

Congratulations on your retirement, and best wishes for all that comes next!