Don was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. While serving his country in the military, he was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service as Housing Advisor to the City of Danang in South Vietnam. After completing active military duty in 1972, Don began his quite diverse professional career working six years in Washington, DC for the Government as an urban planner, housing official and community organizer.

Entrepreneurial yearnings attracted Don to an over twenty-five year small business career in real estate sales and property management. Scoggins Properties, Inc. sold mostly to people of modest means; and many former tenants who believed it was impossible to ever become homeowners or small real estate investors.

After briefly retiring in 2003, Don spent several stints employed by the federal government and pursued grassroots political activism – a childhood passion where he carried for wives of businessmen their basket of chicken salad sandwiches selling them and handing out ‘I Like Ike’ buttons along North Tulsa’s historical business strip known as, the Black Wall Street, to raise funds for President Dwight Eisenhower’s reelection.

In 1992, after twenty years of GOP activity in the District, Don with his family moved to Northern Virginia becoming politically active there too, first as a precinct captain, culminating with his election as chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee’s Springfield District. He now serves on the Party’s executive committee in Prince William County, and secretary for the 11th Congressional District GOP Committee.

Deeply committed to expanding the Republican Party, especially within the black community, Don was instrumental in establishing the Frederick Douglass Republican Forum, a multi-racial group of Virginians dedicated to increasing party membership. He was elected president of Republicans for Black Empowerment, a national grassroots organization in 2006.

Civic and fraternal activities include serving as trustee of the 1906 congressionally charted, Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association; Prince William County’s Committee of 100; and, membership in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

An architectural engineering graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, Va., Don also received a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Pittsburgh.

Retired U. S. Army Reserves officer and extensive world traveler, Don and wife, Gurmeet are the proud parents of two grown sons, Donald, Jr. and Vikramjit.

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