Professional Affiliation

Executive Director, Future Borders Coalition

Expert Bio

As Executive Director of Future Borders Coalition, Laura Dawson works with a binational coalition of government and industry leaders in order to build better borders for travel and trade. Prior to her appointment to FBC, Dr. Dawson led the North America office of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Institute, facilitating public sector digital transformation. Other posts include director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., founder of Dawson Strategic, and senior economic advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Canada. Dawson serves on the teaching faculty at the Master of Public Policy program at McGill University in Montreal and is a board member of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. In addition, Dawson was jury co-chair for the Government of Canada’s 2022 New Frontiers in Research Fund and was named 2021 Person of Distinction by the Public Affairs Association of Canada. Dr. Dawson holds a PhD in Political Science from Carleton University. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Major Publications

Current Publications (2015-Present):

Managing the Canada-US Relationship from the Honeymoon to the Long-term
Slow and Steady Will Not Win the Race: Trade Negotiations, IP Protections and Canada’s Pharmaceutical Industry 
Chasing China: Why an Economic Agreement with China is Necessary for Canada’s Continued Prosperity 
Wilson Perspectives: The Trans-Pacific Partnership
The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Setting the Standard and Raising the Bar

Past Publications (2014-2011):

Toward Free Trade in Canada: Five Things the Federal Government Can Do To Open our Internal Market
Projected Economic Effects of the Integrity Framework
Made in the World: Defragmenting Rules of Origin for More Efficient Global Trade
Opportunities for Canada from Mexican Energy Sector Reform: This Time It’s Different
Canada’s trade with Mexico: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going and Why it Matters
North American Competitiveness: The San Diego Agenda
Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Entering a New Era of Strategic Trade Policy
Strong Medicine: Can Free Trade Agreements Cure Canada’s Pharmaceutical Ills?
A Safe and Smart Border: The Ongoing Quest in U.S.-Canada Relations
Sustaining the Crude Economy: Future Prospects for Canada’s Global Energy Competitiveness
Credit Where Credit Is Due: How Collateralized Lending in the Americas Helps MSMEs Grow
Potash and Blackberries: Should Canada Treat all Foreign Investment the Same?
Can Canada Join the Trans-Pacific Partnership? Why Just Wanting it is Not Enough
Laura Dawson comments on new border tax for Canadians
Laura Dawson comments on new U.S.-Canada border agreement

Previous Terms

Former Senior Economic Analyst, U.S. Embassy, Ottawa, Canada; Public Policy Scholar, Wilson Center, Sept-Dec, 2011, Project: "Strengthening North American Economic Competitiveness in a Post-NAFTA World"