Administration

Dawn Turnage

Assistant Director

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Dawn Turnage joined the City of Columbus Recreation and Parks Department in September 2022 and oversees the Youth Development section.

An Ohio native, Dawn has 20 years of public service experience working with diverse populations in the areas of social services, criminal justice and public service. Most recently, she served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Youngstown. Her previous experience includes working with the City of Westerville Parks and Recreation and serving on the Youngstown City School Board.

Dawn earned a master’s degree in Criminal Justice/Safety Studies from the University of Phoenix and a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Youngstown State University. Dawn was an active community member; she served on the Steering Committee of the Healthy Community Partnership of the Mahoning Valley, Mahoning County Children First Council and past president of the Liberty Kiwanis Club. Dawn is an active member of the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association, the National Recreation and Park Association and a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated–Epsilon Mu Omega Graduate Chapter.