Dawn Wallace

Vice President, Civic Leadership

Dawn Wallace oversees the Flinn Foundation’s statewide civic-leadership program that prepares emerging and established leaders to enter all levels of public service. A public-policy expert who has advised governors and guided policy development in the Arizona Legislature for the last two decades, Dawn joined the Foundation in March 2020. 

Dawn directs the nonpartisan Flinn-Brown Fellowship and its annual seminar series, the Foundation’s cornerstone initiative to strengthen civic leadership in Arizona. Flinn-Brown was launched in 2011 under a partnership between the Flinn Foundation and Thomas R. Brown Foundations of Tucson. 
 
Dawn previously served in the office of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for more than four years and led the development of the governor’s P-20 education agenda. She also served as a liaison to executive departments and planned and managed large public events, including Ducey’s second inauguration ceremonies and the memorial service for U.S. Sen. John McCain. Her previous experience includes serving as director of government relations for the Maricopa County Community College District and policy-advisor roles in the Arizona House of Representatives and State Senate. Earlier in her career, she was a budget analyst for Govs. Jane Dee Hull and Janet Napolitano. 

As part of the 2012 Centennial Celebration, Dawn collaborated with the Flinn Foundation to produce the “Kids at the Capitol” DVD that included civics education modules for Arizona middle school students.

Dawn holds an MBA, with an emphasis in accounting, from the University of Phoenix, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Arizona State University. 

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