As chief of the Durham Technical Community College police force, Dawn Tevepaugh draws on a quarter century of experience in campus law enforcement. She entered the field as a patrol captain for the University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte Police, where for 14 years she promoted personal and campus safety across the university community. In 2007, Dawn Tevepaugh left UNC to join the Town of Davidson police as a patrol sergeant, in which capacity she strengthened connections between the municipal force and Davidson College police.

Dawn Tevepaugh then became assistant chief of police for the East Carolina University Police. There, she balanced budget concerns with the incorporation of innovative techniques and technologies for campus protection. She moved on from this role to become chief of the Guilford Technical Community College Police.

In 2014, Dawn Tevepaugh joined the police force at Durham Technical Community College. She advanced to the role of chief in 2015 and has since led a number of progressive initiatives, including a comprehensive emergency management plan that involves extensive training for campus police, university employees, and building safety captains. She hopes to extend this training to the broader college community.