Dawn Witherspoon, MS, RMHI

Dawn Witherspoon is the Founder and President of The For Paul Foundation. After her husband, Paul's Line of Duty Death Dawn and their daughter Allison were compelled to carry on Paul's legacy of helping others. In his honor they founded The For Paul Foundation to help support, honor and provide education for first responders, their families, and other families that have lost a loved one in the line of duty.

Dawn holds a Master's in Psychology from Carlos Albizu University and is currently a Registered Mental Health Intern in the State of Florida specializing in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and complicated grief. In addition to counseling Dawn spends countless hours in the state and nation's capitol working closely with legislators changing laws and making a positive difference in the lives of all EMS, First Responders, and their families. 

In 2019 Dawn was nominated for the MADD Florida Hero Recognition Award. In 2020 Dawn participated by sharing her story in an award winning police training video to help change the way death notifications are made. In 2021 Dawn was awarded the President's Lifetime Achievement Award, awarded to those who contribute more than 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime. In 2024 Dawn was recognized by Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis as a 2024 Florida Hero for demonstrating exceptional courage, compassion, and resilience in the face of adversity. 

Dawn is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Service and  serves as a member of the Weston YMCA's Advisory Council in addition to the work she does with The For Paul Foundation. 

When not helping other families that have lost a loved one in the line of duty, advocating for first responders and EMS or honoring our community heroes,  Dawn enjoys traveling with her daughter Allison and spending time with all of their pets.