Dee Ann Benard

Biography

Dee Ann is the Rural Development Network's and consequently Sustainable Housing Initiative's inaugural Executive Director. Dee Ann has over 15 years of experience as an Executive Director and has spent over 25 years working in rural Alberta. With this experience Dee Ann leads ARDN in helping communities navigate the landscape of affordable housing and rural development. Dee Ann is passionate about affordable housing and believes that having a home is not only a human right, but is key to helping vulnerable populations.

RDN has a vested interest in seeing communities thrive, not just survive, and is well positioned to assist them through the complicated process. After earning her B.Sc. (Biology) and M.Sc. (Plant Pathology) from Simon Fraser University, Dee Ann moved to Edmonton in 1994 to work with Alberta Agriculture. She has worked for government, private industry and not-for-profits in her career.