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 and his team have 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. He also served as founding President of the Native Hawaiian Organizations Association (NHOA), the industry trade association for NHOs.
Learn more about our founder – chrisdawsonhawaii.com
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Dave Johnson
Chief Operating Officer
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.
Katie Harding
Chief Human Resources Officer & Chief Financial Officer
Denver, CO
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
Ogden, UT
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.
Mike Gelsleichter
Business Line Lead - PTS &
General Manager – Dawson AKT
Panama City, FL
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.
Alan Reynolds
Business Line Lead - Construction, O&M
San Antonio, TX
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.
Danielle O'grady
Business Line Lead - Environmental
Hamburg, NJ
Danielle brings to DAWSON more than 23 years of leadership experience in DoD contracting, chemical engineering, proposal management, capture management, and strategic development. She joined DAWSON in 2014 where she previously served as the Director of Capture, Proposals, & Marketing.
Michael Fonseca
Business Line Lead - Pacific &
General Manager – Dawson Enterprises
Honolulu, HI
Michael is Native Hawaiian and has spent his entire career executing DoD contracts for various agencies across the Pacific. He joined DAWSON in 2015 and currently oversees operations for the Pacific region, including the management and overall success of all Service Lines, client relations, and compliance.
Dawna Smith
General Manager - Dawson Solutions
Clarksville, TN
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.
Matthew Ferguson
General Manager - Dawson CMS, LLC
Arlington, VA
Matt joined DAWSON in 2017 and currently leads Consulting & Health Services. He brings 25 years of experience working in Management Consulting to provide federal government clients with strategy, performance, financial, analytics, and advisory services.
Tom Coffey
General Manager - D7
San Antonio, TX
Tom joined DAWSON in 2016 as Program Manager for the Fuels Service Line and opened DAWSON’s California office as General Manager. He has worked in DoD construction and operations management for the past 23 years. Currently, Tom serves as Director of Construction for the Western U.S.
Derek Kekaulike Mar
Cultural Advisor &
General Manager – Dawson MCG, LLC
Honolulu, HI
Kekaulike is Native Hawaiian and leads business strategy and operations for Dawson MCG, LLC. 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.