Leadership & Solving Problems
Dr. Dawnté Early is a well-respected thought leader in health equity and mental health. She currently serves as the President and CEO of United Way California Capital Region, leading the organization into its 100th-anniversary year of building stronger, healthier and more compassionate communities. She also serves as a councilmember of West Sacramento. Prior to United Way, she was a leader at the Department of Public Health and the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission and was influential in the areas of behavioral health and criminal justice reform. She was also actively involved in initiatives such as Obama's My Brother's Keeper and the West Sacramento Aging Commission for 7 years where she advised on city policies that support the health and wellbeing of older adults in West Sacramento.
Rooted in Family
From an early age, Dawnté’s parents instilled in her the value of perseverance, resilience and community service. Dawnté was born oversees on a military base as both of her parents proudly served our nation as members of the United States Air Force.
Like so many military families, Dawnté’s early years included frequent moves as her family was stationed around the world, including Europe and the Azores Islands. The last deployments were Mather and McClellan Air Force bases and it was then that Sacramento became her home.
“Seeing my parents serve, and traveling with them all over the world, made me not only appreciate the diversity of other cultures, but also showed me the importance of commitment; commitment to family, community, and country.”
Sacramento Becomes Home Court
During high school Dawnté developed a love for basketball and became a leader on the girl’s basketball team at Folsom High School. As a center and small forward, Dawnté learned the importance of teamwork and gained the leadership qualities she often calls upon as an adult. Dawnté excelled on the court and was team captain. She received awards for her performance on the court and had multiple scholarship offers.
Dawnté also thrived in the classroom. Her favorite subject was Chemistry. Dawnté had amazing teachers who supported her dreams and encouraged her to pursue them. She received multiple scholarship offers for her basketball talents but selected a full academic scholarship to the historically black college and university (HBCU) Alabama A&M; Go Bulldogs!
Love, Basketball, Being A Mom & Becoming A Doctor
After two years at Alabama A&M, Dawnté transferred to the University of California, Davis to be closer to her family. As a new mother, Dawnté learned to balance both academic and family responsibilities. With the help of her mom and dad, Dawnté graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
As a young mother, Dawnté understood the importance of education and giving her family an opportunity for a better life. After undergrad, Dawnté continued her education, earning her master’s in child development and PhD in human development with a minor in quantitative psychology from UC Davis. During this time, Dawnté and her family moved to West Sacramento. They quickly fell in love with their community and became involved in many activities. Over the years, Dawnté and her husband could often be found on the sidelines coaching football and basketball.
West Sacramento & Building Strong Communities
Dawnté started her career with the State of California serving as a public health researcher. However, when asked, Dawnté describes herself as a data detective. It is her job to use data to investigate problems and answer questions for underserved and unserved communities. At the Department of Public Health, she supported the Maternal Infant Health Assessment project, guiding health policies and programs for California women, infants and families. Results from this project were used by state and local programs, and other maternal, child, and adolescent health stakeholders to monitor health outcomes and identify emerging health issues.
Dawnté was then promoted to lead a joint research project between the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). In this role, she led important research on the Affordable Care Act and the impact of health care services on the recidivism of individuals released from prison. Dawnté developed policy recommendations to help ensure people with behavioral health needs are not criminalized and instead are provided the health care services they need. Dawnté also led a team to learn about, plan for, and implement activities that embed racial and gender equity approaches into CDCR’s culture, policies, and practices. The resulting racial equity plan is now being successfully implemented across CDCR.
Family & Home
Dawnté is married to Norman West. They have two children ages 20 and 9 years old. Dawnté is a proud Elkhorn tiger mom, girl scout troop leader, and basketball coach for West Sacramento parks and rec league. Dawnté has felt the call to action by the current social climate and wants to help her community in moving forward together. Her professional experience and dedication to service and West Sacramento make her the right person to represent the community. Join her in this journey to show our community strength, and re-elect Dawnté Early to be your West Sacramento City Council representative.