Dawn Gibbons facts for kids

Dawn Snelling Gibbons (born March 9, 1954) is an American politician. She served in the Nevada Assembly, which is like the state's law-making group. She was also the First Lady of Nevada from 2007 to 2010. This happened when her husband, Jim Gibbons, became the Governor of Nevada.

Early Life and Family

Dawn Gibbons was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was 20 years old, she moved to Nevada. She went to the University of Nevada, Reno. There, she earned a degree in geological studies.

After college, Dawn owned and ran two wedding chapels in Reno, Nevada. During this time, she met Jim Gibbons. He was a pilot for Delta Air Lines back then. They got married in 1986. They have one child together, a son named Jimmy. Jimmy later served in the United States Navy.

Political Career in Nevada

Dawn Gibbons has had an interesting career in politics. She served in the Nevada Assembly more than once.

First Time in the Assembly

In 1991, Dawn Gibbons was chosen to represent a part of Washoe County. This happened because her husband, Jim Gibbons, left his seat. He resigned to serve in the Persian Gulf War. Dawn filled his spot in the state legislature.

However, she only served for a short time. In April 1991, she resigned from her position. This allowed her husband to get his seat back after he returned from the war. After this, she went back to working in business.

Elected to the Assembly

Later, in 1998, Dawn Gibbons was elected to the Nevada Assembly on her own. This means people voted for her to be their representative. She served in this role until 2004.

In 2000 and 2002, she won her elections easily. She often ran without much competition. This showed that many people in her district supported her.

Running for Congress and First Lady

In 2006, Dawn Gibbons decided to run for a bigger political job. She wanted to become a Representative for Nevada in the U.S. Congress. This was the same seat her husband was leaving.

She ran in the Republican Party primary election. However, she finished in third place. Another candidate, Dean Heller, won that election.

In the same year, her husband, Jim Gibbons, won the election to become the Governor of Nevada. Because of this, Dawn Gibbons became the First Lady of Nevada. She held this important role from 2007 to 2010.

Life After Being First Lady

After her time as First Lady, Dawn Gibbons focused on media and public relations.

Working in Media

She started her own talk radio show called The Dawn Gibbons Show. It began on Fox News radio on March 30, 2010. Her first guests were important political figures.

Dawn Gibbons also worked for a company called Intermountain West Communications Company. She continued to be a radio talk show host. She even co-hosted shows with other people, like "The Dawn & Jim Show" and "The Dawn & Rory Show."

Serving on the Nevada Transportation Authority

In 2017, Governor Brian Sandoval appointed Dawn Gibbons to a new role. She joined the Nevada Transportation Authority. This is a state agency that helps regulate different types of transportation. It oversees things like taxicabs, rideshare cars, limousines, and tow trucks.

Dawn Gibbons currently serves as the Chair of this Authority. This means she leads the agency and helps make important decisions about transportation in Nevada.