Board of Trustees
Don Dea
Title
Co-founder, Fusion Productions
Education
MBA, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Senior Executive Program, Sloan School of Management, MIT
BA in Economics, McDaniel College
About Don Dea
Don Dea is an accomplished board chair, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor with a proven leadership track record in AI, cybersecurity, higher education, technology, and mission-driven organizations. He served on the Excelsior University Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2023 as board chair and treasurer and was named chair emeritus by proclamation in 2024. During his tenure, Dea also nominated two distinguished trustees, William G. Harris and Pamela Tate, for emeritus status, both of whom were affirmed in recognition of their exceptional service.
His board leadership extends across sectors. He currently serves as chair of the board at UranX Corporation, a cybersecurity and SaaS acquisition firm; board chair at America’s VetDogs and the Guide Dog Foundation; chair of Bold Futures Academy, USA Strategic Infrastructure Systems, and vice chair at the Alliance for American Leadership. Dea is also strategic advisor to the University of Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Program; strategic advisor to Nursing Rocks, and a frequent advisor to associations, including ASAE and AICPA.
Dea’s executive background includes roles as general manager and strategic leader at Xerox Corporation, where he led OEM/VARs and strategic partnerships for U.S. operations, and managed Xerox’s Corporate Real Estate Division, which included 26 million square feet with $500M in P&L impact. He also served in the Reagan Administration as special assistant to the attorney general through the President’s Executive Exchange Program.
As co-founder of Fusion Productions, he launched digitalNow—a leading conference on governance and innovation for association CEOs. He later co-founded Shark Innovations and Sixsol Technologies, AI development firms delivering solutions to SMB and B2B/B2C markets.
A recognized author and thought leader in digital transformation, governance, and association strategy, Dea actively mentors students at Duke University and McDaniel College and served as chair of the Visitor Board of Trustees at McDaniel College. He also serves as a eucharistic minister and lay leader at St. Monica’s and St Clement’s in Santa Monica and a volunteer leader for Eucharistic Ministry, St John’s Providence Hospital, continuing his commitment to service beyond the boardroom.
Dea was honored with McDaniel College’s Alumni Award and the ASAE Key Award for advancing the profession and cultivating future leaders.
