Dana grew up in Brevard, but her family life revolved around her parents’ home places around the Balsam Grove community near Lake Toxaway, where the McCall and Mason families have lived since the 1830s. Those early years have given her an intimate familiarity with some of the most attractive properties in the Blue Ridge mountain area.

After graduating from Brevard High School, she attended Brevard College and worked, among other places, at the DuPont film manufacturing facility in Cedar Mountain. While at DuPont she entered Mars Hill College, graduating in 1992 with a BS degree in Business Administration and Marketing.

Dana has been active in the community throughout her adult life. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the DuPont Credit Union and of KOALA, an adult day care center in Brevard.