Dawn has an MMUS from Northwestern University and spent the last four years as the U of A Heritage Chicken Program Coordinator. With extensive experience as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor, Dawn is the scribe with the PIP team, transcribing minutes, creating action lists, organizing team ideas and projects, interviewing Poultry People for the newsletter and assisting in PIP tech transfer initiatives.

After a decade of performing and teaching music, Dawn worked as a writer and copy editor for the Gulf Islands Driftwood newspaper and Aqua magazine. Her family raised heritage chickens and turkeys and Dawn worked with the 4H program as leader and parent volunteer. With her experience in organizing community groups, educating, writing, editing, promotion and raising chickens, the HCP Coordinator position was a great fit and led to her administrative and editorial position with the PIP team. “I used to take care of our neighbour’s backyard chickens when I was a teen and loved hanging out with the birds. When my daughter signed up for 4H in grade 3, the whole family got involved. The chickens were part of the family, named, played with and buried. We also raised meat turkeys from day old and my daughter learned how to butcher the birds herself. My love for chickens really blossomed in those years and has never left me.”