In This Section
Staff and Board
Robert W. Bennett, President and Chief Executive Officer
E-mail: bbennett@fsasf.org
With more than 20 years as a leader in the research and development of social service and public policy initiatives, Bob has deep experience in both public policy and social-service research. As founder of Resource Development Associates, a Lafayette-based consulting and research firm, Bob led the development of major initiatives in public health, urban revitalization, juvenile justice, infant mortality, perinatal substance abuse, school-linked family support services, homelessness, mental health, systems of care, and independent living services.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of FSA, Bob brings this wealth of experience, helping set FSA’s course for the new century.
“At FSA, I think our mandate is to work for society’s forgotten people, the poor and bereft,” he says. “Building on FSA’s deep roots and strong reputation, we can create valuable partnerships with leading researchers in mental health, family dynamics, substance abuse, and so on. By combining our on-the-ground clinical experience with the Bay Area’s outstanding research organizations, we can develop truly informed and innovative programs to make significant and lasting change in people’s lives and in public policies regarding our most pressing social problems.”
These twin concerns – for the voiceless and vulnerable individual and for the larger public policies that shape our collective social conditions – are the common refrains throughout Bob’s work. During his long career, Bob has served as a frequent consultant to federal and state agencies, including HUD, Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, the National Institute of Mental Health, the United States Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs, the California Department of Health Services, and the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs.
The author of over two dozen major evaluations, 24 published papers, and numerous invited conference presentations, Bob is the co-author of Vision/Reality, HUD’s guide to comprehensive community planning.
Bob and his wife, Pat Bennett, are the parents of six children, ages 16 to 35. In his spare time (such as it is!), Bob is pursuing a PhD in Organizational Development at the Fielding Graduate Institute.
