LEADERSHIP
The DAWSON companies are subsidiaries of the Hawaiian Native
Corporation (HNC), a Native Hawaiian Organization (NHO)
Christopher Dawson
Founder & Chief Executive Officer - DAWSON
Founder & Chairman – Hawaiian Native Corporation
Honolulu, HI & Denver, CO
An industry trailblazer in Native and Small Business Contracting with the U.S. Federal Government, Chris Dawson founded DAWSON in 1994. He currently leads the company’s business strategy, drawing on more than three decades of experience launching ventures and successfully positioning them for growth in emerging markets.
With the goal of bettering the environment in his home community, Chris started Dawson Environmental Services in 1994 as a solo entrepreneur providing soil remediation services throughout Hawaiʻi. Since then, he has grown DAWSON into a diversified, global business enterprise based on traditional Native Hawaiian values. More than 25 years later, Chris remains driven by the principle of being in business to make a difference. As a Native Hawaiian social entrepreneur, he is dedicated to principally benefitting the Native Hawaiian community through the work of DAWSON’s parent organization, the Hawaiian Native Corporation (HNC), which he established in 2004 and currently leads as Chairman of the Board.
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dave Johnson
Chief Operating Officer, General Manager - Dawson Federal & Dawson Technical
Denver, CO
Dave leads DAWSON’s operations and has dedicated his entire 20-year career to Federal Government contracting. Prior to being promoted to his current role, he served as GM for DAWSON’s Pacific Rim region where he grew partnerships and clients threefold.
Carlos Smith
Chief Financial Officer
Throughout his nearly 30-year career, Carlos has aligned financial metrics to support strategic growth. He held the CFO role at Israeli Aerospace Industries North America Aerospace Division and has led multiple reorganizations, mergers, and acquisitions at companies ranging from $100M-$1B in size.
Katie Harding
Chief Human Resources Officer
Katie has more than a decade of C-Suite leadership experience in driving business transformation for organizations. Prior to joining DAWSON, she held combined roles as COO & CFO in the defense and tech industries and spent 26 years in defense consulting.
Andrew Riehemann
Chief Information Officer
Andrew oversees the continued development of an innovative, best-in-class, information technology environment throughout the company. Prior to joining DAWSON, Andrew spent 25 years in multiple IT roles across a variety of industries.
Ed Kertis
Acting Executive Director - HNC
After retiring as a U.S. Army Colonel, Ed embarked on a second career at DAWSON in a variety of senior leadership roles, serving most recently as COO. Currently, he directs the activities of DAWSON’s parent organization, the Hawaiian Native Corporation (HNC).
Dawna Smith
General Manager - Dawson Solutions
Dawna started at DAWSON in 2001 as one of the company’s first employees, playing a key role in DAWSON’s evolution and expansion over the past two decades. She currently oversees regulatory compliance for the DAWSON companies and operational strategy for Dawson Solutions.
Dwayne Sellers
Business Line Lead - PTS
Dwayne brings decades of business management experience to DAWSON, providing cutting-edge client solutions across multiple disciplines in Professional & Technical Services. He has also held senior leadership roles at DAWSON in Program Management and Risk Management.
Alan Reynolds
Business Line Lead - Construction
Alan brings to DAWSON more than 35 years of leadership experience in Fuels and Construction. He joined the company in 2014 as a Fuels Project Manager, growing the program significantly. Alan also served 20 years as a U.S. Air Force Command Fuels Manager.
Chris Bredehoeft
Business Line Lead - Environmental
Chris has over 25 years of helping clients solve complex environmental issues with an emphasis on Federal, state, and local governments. He has extensive experience addressing Federal and state laws and leads a diverse group of multi-disciplinary specialists.
Darrell Cabanting
General Manager - D7
Darrell joined DAWSON in 2013 and opened the Colorado Springs office as General Manager. He has held senior leadership roles overseeing Business Services, Security, Safety, and Training. He is a retired U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Officer with 20 years of service.
Bryan Hara
General Manager - Dawson Enterprises
Bryan joined DAWSON as one of its first employees. During his tenure, he has worked in multiple finance leadership roles supporting the growth of the company into emerging markets and business lines. He serves as General Manager of Dawson Enterprises.
Mike Gelsleichter
General Manager - Aktarius
Over the past 20 years, Mike has managed more than 100 contracts supporting DoD and Federal clients. He is a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant with 40 years of experience in Civil Engineering operations, training & education, construction/O&M, and program management.
Derek Kekaulike Mar
Cultural Advisor & General Manager, Five Three Two Three Concepts
Kekaulike is Native Hawaiian and leads business strategy and operations for Five Three Two Three Concepts. He also serves as a Cultural Advisor providing cultural training for DAWSON and the Hawaiian Native Corporation (HNC). He joined DAWSON in 2011 as a Project Manager.
Napua Leong
Director of Communications
Napua is Native Hawaiian and has more than a decade of experience building stakeholder engagement via creative communications and marketing. She leads communications and community impact partnerships for DAWSON and the Hawaiian Native Corporation (HNC).