Dawn Hunter, JD, MPH, is the Policy Director for the New Mexico Department of Health. She leads the Department’s legislative activities and also oversees strategic planning, performance management, and quality improvement initiatives. Dawn also manages the Public Health Accreditation team and reaccreditation efforts, including training and compliance, organizational policy management, and workforce development.

Dawn joined the Department of Health in 2014 as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Visiting Attorney in Public Health Law. During her tenure, she has led initiatives to address health system innovation and meeting the unique needs of New Mexico’s rural and underserved communities through collaboration and partnership. Dawn grew up in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where her family still resides.

Dawn was previously engaged in research and development as a microbiologist at the University of South Florida, Center for Biological Defense, and also has experience in child protective services. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Princeton University, a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Public Health from the University of South Florida, and a Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. Dawn is Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners and is a member of the Florida Bar.