2019 Gala spotlight: Dawna Michelle Fields

Dawna Michelle is the National Program Manager and Director of Community Affairs for Colgate-Palmolive Company’s flagship corporate social responsibility program “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures”.   For 20 years, she has managed the company’s integrated dental health awareness initiative that is targeted at children and families across the North America.  With demonstrated experience in public relations, event marketing, media relations, and coalition-building, she utilizes these skills to access more than 12 million children annually on behalf of Colgate.  Dawna Michelle is charged with building and managing external and internal partnerships.

Dawna Michelle’s past work experience includes:

•A Vice President of Event Marketing for GW&J  Marketing Communications where she created Western Union International’s community outreach efforts to emerging markets in more than 32 ethnic communities throughout the nation and abroad.

•Manager of Public Relations and Public Affairs for the New York Daily News.  In this role, she implemented media relations strategies, public affairs programs and special events for daily newspaper.

•Director of Public Relations at Circulation Experti, Ltd. where she launched her career after a 10 year stint –through high school and college.  There she served as lead on several accounts including, Seven-Up, Philip Morris, Ciba-Geigy, Cheseborough-Pond’s, Wonder Bread and Miller Brewing.

Her career in community outreach is reward in itself, however she has been a member of, or a recipient of honors from many respected organizations.  These organizations include: Jack and Jill of America, NAACP, Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Continental Societies, Inc., National Council of Negro Women, Inc., Selective Corporate Internship Programs, The LINKS Incorporated, Sister to Sister, New York Black Agency Executives, New York Women’s Agenda; Black Women’s Agenda; Girls Inc. of Westchester and she was the recipient of the Estee Lauder/Project Legacy’s “Pearl Award” for her “can-do” spirit.  

She is a member of the Westchester County, NY Links; Board Member of Girls Inc. Westchester, Public Information Office for the Black Women’s Agenda; and a National CO-Chair of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.  

Dawna Michelle resides Westchester County and is an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon, NY.  She also spends time at her family’s homesteads in rural Virginia and North Carolina.