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Aretha has over 20 years of professional experience at all levels of government. In 2011 Aretha was appointed the Deputy Secretary of the District of Columbia in the Executive Office of the Mayor by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. Prior to joining the Mayor’s team Aretha worked with the North Texas Municipal Alliance as an Executive Trainer and Curriculum Developer, as well as an Adjunct Faculty Member for Tarrant County College teaching US Government..
With a strong emphasis and connection with the Washington Metropolitan Area Aretha previously held several positions in the District of Columbia to include serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, responsible for managing the day-to-day operation of the Department. Prior that appointment served under former Mayor Anthony Williams in the Executive Offices of the Mayor. Within this office she served as Chief of Staff for Office of the Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth, Families and Elders and was later promoted to the position of Director for the Office of Neighborhood Action & the Community Empowerment Cluster.
Prior to joining the staff of the District of Columbia, Aretha was the Assistant County Administrator for Los Alamos County, New Mexico. In that role she managed the County’s Intergovernmental Program, which included coordinating the final negotiations for the San Ildefonso Pueblo Land Claim agreement which involved the County, the Pueblo, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. For the City of Sunnyvale, California, Aretha served as the Assistant to the City Manager, where she oversaw Sunnyvale’s Intergovernmental and Legislative programs.
From 1997 to 2002, Aretha worked for the City of Chicago, as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Chicago Housing Authority and Assistant Chief Information Officer for the Department of Business and Information Services. From 1995 to 1997 she served as the Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the Governor of Maryland.
From 1989 to 1995 Aretha worked with the Central Intelligence Agency as an undergraduate intern and later as Graduate Fellow focusing on Soviet Military Issues. Aretha’s held her first local government job with the City of Fort Worth in 1988 as a summer employee
Aretha is committed to serving in the field of Public Administration and is a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). For 22 year Aretha has been a faithful and supportive member of the NFBPA beginning with serving as the organizations student representative on the national board of director and later serving as President of the Chicago Chapter, Vice-President of the Council of Presidents, National Secretary/Treasurer, 2nd Vice President, and 1st Vice-President. Aretha is also a 1995 Graduate of the NFBPA’s Mentor Program and 1999 graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute. In 2002 Aretha was awarded the NFBPA Young Public Administrator of the Year Award, which is a nationally competitive award recognizing an administrator, under age 35, who has demonstrated an above-average commitment and success in both profession, and in the community. In April of 2011 Aretha was elected the 17th National President of the organization and is not only the youngest President elected but the first person to rise through the organization from student representative to national president.
Aretha is a member Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporate. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Aretha is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. She is married to Ted Benavides, and is the proud mother of Geoffry Alexander.
