Ms. Dawn Bilodeau is currently serving as the Chief for Department of Defense (DOD) Voluntary Education. In this position, she is responsible for oversight and administration of adult, non-traditional, voluntary, continuing, and post-secondary, higher education programs for the Department of Defense worldwide; the quality oversight and review of all military education programs; and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). She chairs several boards to include the Inter-Service Voluntary Education Board, the Third Party Education Assessment Board, and the Overseas Voluntary Education Board and serves as Executive Chair of the Planning Committee for the triennial DoD World Wide Education Symposium. She represents DOD Voluntary Education as liaison with the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the College Board, the American Council on Education, the Servicemembers Opportunity College, the National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services, the National Commission on Lifelong Learning, the Council of College and Military Educators, the American Association for Adult Continuing Education, the American Counselors Association, state and regional Advisory Councils on Military Education, and other state and federal departments and agencies.
Ms. Bilodeau is a native New Englander, hailing from Lewiston, Maine. She is a career civil servant with over 14 years of experience in the area of military voluntary education. From 1999-2013, Ms. Bilodeau supported Headquarters Army Continuing Education System in various roles culminating in her position as the Deputy Director and Chief of Budget and Finance with duty assignments in Virginia, District of Columbia, Kosovo/Macedonia, and Kentucky. Her honors include the Army Meritorious and Superior Civilian Service Awards, Army G1 Civilian of the Quarter, the CCME John Brian Service and Leadership Award, the U.S. Bank Government Outstanding Achievement Award for Innovation and the NATO Medal. Ms. Bilodeau has a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Supervision from Arizona State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Bates College. Prior to 1999, she taught sociology and social studies at the secondary level in both Maine and Arizona.