Ms. Brown became the executive director of RDN in August 2020. A graduate of CEGEP de la Gaspésie et des Îles, she began working at Committee for Anglophone Social Action (CASA) in 2001. She served in various positions before stepping into the role of executive director from 2008 until 2020. During her tenure, she led a significant expansion of program activities and service delivery for the benefit of the English-speaking communities along the Gaspé coast, particularly in the areas of health and social services, employment, and economic development (tourism). She has also served on various provincial boards and committees, including the Provincial Access to Health and Social Services committee, and she is a founding board member for the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT).

Jano Steffen is the executive assistant for the Regional Development Network and joined the RDN team in December 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with concentrations in Marketing and International Business from McGill University, as well as a Human Resources certificate from the University of Toronto. Originally from Toronto, she has lived in Quebec on and off for 11 years. Prior to working at RDN, Jano worked in the travel industry, which allowed her to discover her love for traveling. During her free time, she enjoys crafting, watching movies, and practicing yoga. 

A graduate of Bishop’s University in the field of sociology, Rachel has been working in community development since 2008 with a particular focus on the vitality of Québec’s English-speaking minority language community, health and social services, and youth. Prior to beginning her role with RDN in 2021, Rachel was the executive director of Townshippers’ Association for just shy of a decade. In 2015, she was appointed to the board of directors of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, where she continues to represent community organization expertise as an independent director, is president of its governance and ethics committee, and is an active member of its human resources and communications committee. Rachel is also an active member of the Provincial Employment Roundtable (PERT) board of directors.

Hoffman joined RDN with years of experience working with Québec City’s English-speaking community, having served as the assistant executive director of the Morrin Centre and the president of Voice of English-speaking Québec. He’s also worked as a project coordination consultant with several branches of the provincial government including the SAAQ, the RAMQ, and the CNESST. A native of North Carolina, he received his Global Business MBA from Laval University and his undergraduate degree from Roanoke College.

Jenny joined the RDN team in February 2022. Before that, she was the deputy editor of Photo Life and Photo Solution magazines, where she worked for almost a decade. Originally from the United States, she has lived in Québec since 2009. When she’s not at RDN, you’ll probably find her working on a theatre project. She’s also a director and playwright, and she serves on the board of the Théâtre Le Trident. A member of the Literary Translators Association of Canada, she has ten years of experience as a professional translator.

Helena Burke joined the RDN team in January 2023. She began her career in community development in 2006 as a coordinator at the Council for Anglophone Magdalen Islanders (CAMI) and then became the executive director in 2007. During her tenure at CAMI, Helena led community strategic planning and visioning exercises, built and nurtured vital relationships (both government and non-government), and leveraged significant financial and human resources needed to implement key programs and services for the English-speaking community (ESC) across sectors. Helena was a leader in implementing the social economy concept in the Islands’ ESC and was successful in developing community businesses including culinary services, respite daycare services, and a social housing initiative.