Dawn grew up in the East End of Richmond and attended Henrico High School. She worked at Lawyers Title for 29 years before the company filed bankruptcy in 2008. She is a member of the Environmental Film Festival Committee and has a special fondness for film selection. A recent renaissance period has developed for Dawn after being laid off two more times from corporate and law firm jobs. She completed the Ginter Urban Gardeners Program and plans to mix this passion with her love for flowers and all things sustainable by starting a cut flower farm.