Suzanne Devenport

Suzanne Devenport is chief executive officer of Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and a lifelong rural resident, leader, and champion for rural culture. Her career began in 1991 in rural Colorado as founding executive director of a nonprofit, building a single-purpose organization into a diverse community development entity. Subsequently, as LISC vice president, she led Rural LISC’s national community, housing, and economic revitalization work, partnering with and through rural community-based organizations across 45 states. At RCAC since 2019, Suzanne leads a team of 275 staff across the western 13 states in RCAC’s footprint, focusing on rural and Indigenous communities. RCAC provides technical assistance (economic development, housing and water/wastewater) and is a community development financial institution. Suzane strives to support and integrate Indigenous cultural awareness into RCAC’s ecosystem. She is an advisory committee member for U.S. Bank, BMO, Rural LISC, and Public Finance Initiative’s Rural and Small Cities Program; serves on the steering committee for Partners for Rural Transformation; and as a board member for National Rural Housing Coalition, California Coalition for Rural Housing, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, and Enterprise Community Loan Fund.