Late ’70s/early ’80s: McDonald graduates from Montreal’s McGill University with a master’s degree in library sciences

She is headhunted by the government to work at the National Library of Canada in Ottawa

1983: Moves over to Ottawa-based Peat Marwick and Partners Consultants (later KPMG Peat Marwick)

1984: Joins the CBC in Ottawa as a strategic planner

1988: Moves over to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters as senior VP of television

1992: Begins a run at the Canadian Cable Television Association as VP of programming services

1994: The CFTPA launches regular policy conferences, which come to be known as Prime Time and are later refined during McDonald’s tenure

1995: McDonald succeeds Sandra Macdonald as president and CEO of the CFTPA

1996: The CFTPA launches the Profile reports on the economic wellbeing of the Canadian film and television production industries

1999: McDonald is appointed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Cultural SAGIT advisory committee

The Terms of Trade Agreement between the CFTPA and the CBC is proposed at the Banff Television Festival

2002: Is appointed to the Banff Television Foundation’s board of governors

The Terms of Trade Agreement with the CBC is ratified

2003: Steps down from her CFTPA post, effective August *