Dawn is a managing partner of Grant Bennett Associates, joining the firm in 1983 after working for a CPA firm in Madison, Wisconsin. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Dawn's professional affiliations include the Association of International Professional Accountants and the California Society of CPAs. 

Dawn serves as the current chair of the AICPA's Peer Review Board. The Peer Review Board is the senior technical committee governing the Peer Review Program for AICPA members engaged in the practice of public accounting nationwide. Dawn also serves as a member of the Board's Education and Communication Task Force. 

Dawn is a past chair and current member of the Peer Review Committee of the California Society of CPAs. This Committee oversees the Peer Review Program for California, Arizona and Alaska. Formerly, she was a member of the Administrative Committee of the California Board of Accountancy, the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Children’s Home, as well as a member of the Executive Committee and the chair of the Audit Committee. 

Dawn has been active in the American Society of Women Accountants, the CalCPA careers in accounting committee, and other organizations. She is an avid gourmet chef, rosarian, and paper crafter.