Dawn Flythe Moore

Dawn Flythe Moore (née Flythe; born August 8, 1975) is an American philanthropist, community organizer, campaign strategist, and the current first lady of Maryland as the wife of Governor Wes Moore. She is the first Black first lady of the state. Early life and education Flythe was born in Bayside, Queens, to father Earl Flythe, a crane operator for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 14, and mother Pandora Flythe, a music teacher at Public School 100 in South Ozone Park. She graduated from St. Francis Preparatory School. She later attended University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned a degree in government and politics and a certificate in women's studies in 1997. Career Flythe began her career in government and politics, accepting the position of Special Assistant to the Secretary in the Community and Intergovernmental Relations Division under Maryland Secretary of State John T. Willis, quickly being promoted as Director of that division. She later worked as a senior policy advisor to Maryland lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, eventually becoming her field director during the 2002 Maryland gubernatorial election. In 2004, Flythe ran for Delegate to the Democratic National Convention, representing U.S. senator John Edwards. She won the Democratic primary, receiving 8.9 percent of the vote. However, Flythe did not check in with the rest of the Maryland delegation nor show up to the convention, leading to Democratic Party officials calling up Louise Gallun to serve as an alternate delegate.