Patricia Lock Dawson

Patricia Lock Dawson, M.S., MBA, currently serves as the Mayor of the City of Riverside, a position held since December 2020. With over 23 years of experience in governmental affairs and program management, Patricia is also the President and Owner of PLD Consulting, specializing in governmental affairs, land use, and program and policy development since 1999. Previous roles include President of the Board of Education for Riverside Unified School District, where responsibilities included managing a $400 million annual budget for 42,000 students and 4,000 employees. Patricia has also worked as a Senior Field Representative for the California State Assembly and as a Wildlife Biologist for the Bureau of Land Management, where notable achievements include developing habitat conservation plans and administering endangered species programs. Patricia holds an MBA from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Science in Forestry/Ecosystem Studies from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology from the University of California, Riverside.