The Boys & Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County has named Brittany Dawson as its new chief professional officer.

Dawson is a veteran of the Boys & Girls Club, which she said had a significant impact on her life. She said her ambition for the Boys & Girls Club of Americus-Sumter County is to ensure children are in an environment where they are able to have fun, learn and make positive life decisions.

“My goal is to give the club members of the Boys and Girls Club the same outstanding experience I had when I would go to the Club every summer,” she said.

A native of Texas and the daughter of an Army veteran, Dawson traveled to different countries and states at an early age, giving her cultural awareness and the ability to communicate with individuals of different backgrounds. She worked as a front desk associate for a nonprofit while working her way through Albany State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in management in three years.

During her time at Albany State, Dawson was inducted into Delta Mu Delta, an international business administration honor society, an available biography on the new CPO says.

Dawson later became an executive assistant for Dougherty County Even Start and was responsible as a fiscal agent for assisting in managing a budget of $500,000, leading staff and fundraising. She attended the University of Florida to pursue her graduate degree and enrolled in the Thomas S. Johnson entrepreneurship program while also serving as a Poe Ethics Fellow.

Her biography also says she studied abroad in Dublin, Ireland, and graduated cum laude with her master’s degree in entrepreneurship in one year. She moved back home to be closer to her family and continued her philanthropic efforts. She began working as a career transition specialist at Turner Job Corps and assisted students of diverse backgrounds in securing employment related to their training, interests and aptitudes.

Dawson also taught professional development and soft skills to students to ensure long-term career success goals for college preparation and gaining employment.

In 2013, she became the executive director of Learning for Everyone and was responsible for guiding and leading the organization in marketing, community relations, operating, budgeting and resource development. She created an online presence, published monthly newsletters and solicited more than $95,000 for the organization during her tenure.

She was the recipient of the 2016 Georgia Press Association Certified Literate Community Program Leader of Distinction, her biography said.