Dawn holds a degree in agriculture from the University of Manitoba. Over a 30 year career, she has provided communications consulting services in the field of agriculture to agribusiness and commodity groups. She also managed several farmer associations.
Dawn provided consulting services to the Canola Council of Canada for two years before joining the council as its communications co-ordinator. In 1987, she left the position to become the MCGA’s first staff person as executive manager. She continued a close relationship, though, with the council and was editor of the Canola Digest for ten years.
While with MCGA, Dawn was involved in the first round of discussions with canola growers in the late 80s about the need for a check-off to move the industry forward. She organized country meetings and traveled rural Manitoba with Jim Green and Max Polon meeting growers. In the mid-90s, she developed a communications strategy for the association that assisted board members in finally achieving the check-off to fund research and communications programs.
While with MCGA, Dawn and her husband operated a dairy farm. Currently, Dawn is completing a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture at the University of Manitoba. She continues to do some communications projects.
Dawn and her husband Randy Baldwin, a management consultant, have one daughter, Amanda. They live on an acreage near Niverville where they raise donkeys.