Dawn Hetzel

Dawn Hetzel, nominated by JCI USA, was elected 2017 JCI President at the 2016 JCI World Congress in Quebec City, Canada. Born March 31, 1977, in Washington, D.C., Hetzel received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Purdue University in 2000 and post-graduate degrees of Doctor of Jurisprudence and a Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University. She was admitted to the State Bar of Michigan in November 2009. Hetzel worked as a lobbyist in Indiana for six years and as an attorney for the State of Michigan for four years. She currently resides in Lansing, Michigan. Hetzel joined JCI Indianapolis of JCI USA in February 2002. She joined her local board of directors in 2003 and served as Local Chapter President in 2005. After serving as chapter president, she served on the state board of directors for the next three years, serving as State President of JCI Indiana in 2008. Hetzel went on to serve JCI USA for the next four years, including General Legal Counsel in 2011 and National Vice President in 2012.In March of 2012, Hetzel moved to Lansing, Michigan and became active with JCI Lansing, while still supporting her home chapter and state organizations. In November of that year, Hetzel was appointed to serve as JCI General Legal Counsel for 2013. She was subsequently elected to serve as JCI Executive Vice President in 2014 and was assigned to the Americas, where she chaired the Conference of the Americas in Medellin, Colombia. In 2015, Hetzel supported JCI President Ismail Haznedar and the 2015 JCI Board of Directors and Appointees as the Chief Executive Assistant to the President. Hetzel has attended seven JCI World Congresses, eleven JCI Area Conferences and six JCI Global Partnership Summits. She has been honored as JCI Senator No. 68200 and is a Phil Pugsley Patron of the JCI Foundation. She speaks English.In her spare time, Hetzel enjoys running and triathlon training. She has completed several half-marathons, marathons, sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and one half-ironman distance triathlon. As JCI President, Hetzel believes that young active citizens have a responsibility to be informed, involved, and take ownership of the problems facing their communities. We must be actors instead of spectators, workers instead of customers. When we take an active interest in our communities and understand the issues happening around us, instead of just waiting for things to happen, we enable change in our communities that creates momentum toward something new, something better. As active citizens, we must work to unite all sectors of society to create sustainable impact because it’s not just someone else’s future – it is our future. We are JCI and together we will Build a Better Future!