Dawn Engle
Dawn Engle was born in Dearborn, Michigan in 1957.
Early Years
She grew up in Michigan, and attended Western Michigan University upon graduation from high school. During her freshman year of college, she was selected as one of 36 students nationwide to participate in the National Collegiate Honors Council’s first semester program in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, she was offered an internship in the office of the U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. She transferred her college credits to the University of Maryland, and completed her college degree while working full-time as a research assistant for the U.S. Senate. She graduated form the University of Maryland in 1979 with a B.A. in Economics, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and Omicron Phi Episilon (economics honor society).
Congress and Law Practice
Dawn Engle spent thirteen years working for the U.S. Congress. After two years as a Research Assistant in the office of U.S. Senator Robert Griffin, R-MI, she was offered a position as Legislative Assistant for U.S. Congressmen Jack Kemp, R-NY. When the Republican Party won control of the U.S. Senate in 1980, she was offered a position as an economist for the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. She then became Legislative Director for U.S. Senator Robert W. Kasten, and in 1986 was promoted to Chief of Staff, making her the youngest woman ever to serve as Chief of Staff for a U.S. Senator. She also served as executive assistant for the Republican Platform Committee in 1988, and as staff economist for the Republican Platform Committee in 1984. After leaving the U.S. congress, she worked for three years as legislative counsel for a leading Washington, D.C. law firm. She also co-authored a book on reform of U.S. foreign policy.
Not For Profit Experience
In addition to her extensive government management experience, Dawn Engle also has extensive experience in the field of non-profit management. In 1986 she co-founded a Legislative Studies Institute in Washington, D.C. She served as President of the PTA in Boulder, Colorado in 1992-94. She co-founded and continues to serve as Chairman of Colorado Friends of Tibet, a non-profit organization with over 1,000 members. And in 1994, she joined Ivan Suvanjieff in co-founding the PeaceJam Foundation, which brings leading Nobel Peace Laureates together with youth to create new leadership for the 21st century. She continues in the position of co-director of the PeaceJam Foundation today.
Awards
- 2008 Girl Scouts Women of Distinction
- 2008 NEWSED Celebrate Culture Civil Rights Award
- 2008 Harris Woffard Service-Learning Award - National Youth Leadership Council
- 2008 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bill Roberts Outstanding Lifetime Contribution Award - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday Commission
- 2007 PeaceJam Nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize by 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and 4 other Nobel Peace Laureates
- 2007 Dawn Engle Outstanding Woman of Jefferson County – The West Chamber Serving Jefferson County
- 2006 Best Denver Ambassadors "Best Of Denver" Award - Westword Magazine
- 2006 Image Award & Outstanding Business Award - Arvada City Chamber of Commerce
- 2006 Ambassador of Peace Award - The Conflict Center
- 2006 Peace Millennium Award - The Peace Company
- 2005 Man of Peace Award from the Gorbachev Foundation
- 2005 Outstanding Partners in Change Award from Earth Force
- 2002 Service-Learning Excellence Award from the Colorado Department of Education
- 1999 Faith to Faith Award from Rotary International