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2013 SESSION
WHEREAS, Dawn Michele Lawson, a respected federal government employee and dedicated community advocate, died on February 7, 2013; and
WHEREAS, a graduate of Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, North Carolina, Dawn Lawson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and a master’s degree from George Mason University; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson enjoyed a successful 25-year career with the federal government, holding various positions with the United States Department of the Army, the United States Air Force, and the Defense Information Systems Agency; and
WHEREAS, a trusted professional, Dawn Lawson established the United States Department of Defense’s first blanket purchase agreement for open source software and negotiated a multimillion-dollar agreement for Microsoft licenses for Defense Information Systems Agency offices worldwide; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson was a member of numerous professional organizations and was a member of the local chapter of Blacks in Government and participated in its outreach program, working with a local school to deliver items donated through a coat, a hat, a glove, and a scarf drive; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson took an active role in the Democratic Party on the local, state, and national level, serving as a member of the Eleventh Congressional District Democratic Committee, the Democratic Party of Virginia Central Committee, and the Democratic Black Caucus of Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson was elected by her peers in the Eleventh Congressional District Democratic Committee to attend the Democratic National Conventions in Denver, Colorado, in 2008 and Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2012 as a National Delegate for Presidential Candidate Barack Obama; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson remained active in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., through her membership first in the Zeta Chi Omega chapter, which she served as anti-grammateus and historian, and then in the Lambda Kappa Omega chapter, in which she was Connections chair; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson also attended Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., day at the United States Capitol, served as chair of the Time and Place Committee for the 58th Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, ran for a national position with the organization, and was a member of the International Nominating Committee from 2006 to 2008; and
WHEREAS, a respected leader, Dawn Lawson was a graduate of the Minority Political Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and Leadership Fairfax, Inc.; earned a scholarship to the Virginia Leadership Institute; and was appointed by Governor Timothy M. Kaine to serve as the chair for United Nations Day in Virginia; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson earned Defense Information Systems Agency, United States Army, and United States Air Force achievement and performance awards and a Blacks in Government Meritorious Service Award and Board of Directors Appreciation Award; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson earned numerous awards for her service to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., including Soror of the Year and Outstanding Soror in the Global and Political Arena; she was particularly honored to receive the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Marguerite Adams Award for Political Action; and
WHEREAS, Dawn Lawson enjoyed fellowship and worship at Antioch Baptist Church, where she was an active member; and
WHEREAS, known for her gentle smile and willingness to help others, Dawn Lawson made many contributions through her work and community endeavors; and
WHEREAS, predeceased by her father, Leonard, Dawn Lawson will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her mother, Mildred; siblings, Ella, Carol, Mary, Joel, Stanley, and Lynn, and their families; numerous other family members and friends; and others whose lives she touched; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of a respected citizen of Springfield, Dawn Michele Lawson; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Dawn Michele Lawson as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for her memory.