Della began her career in higher education in 1999 at Leeward Community College where she held positions ranging from Professor of Accounting to Director of Planning, Policy, and Assessment, and eventually Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. In 2020, she moved to the University of Hawaiʻi Community College System Office as Interim Director of Academic Programs. Prior to joining UH, she worked in the private industry for seven years as an accountant and operations manager. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and management information systems from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.