Brian BennJanuary 20, 2020 (Atlanta) - Belhaven University alum Brian Benn '18 is using his expertise in technology to serve others and was recently honored for his skill and selfless work.

Benn won the prestigious Atlanta Technology Professional of the Year award for his work as senior vice president and chief information officer at the Atlanta Housing Authority, the largest housing authority in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation.

This state-level award recognized Benn for leadership, innovation, collaboration, and community involvement. He accepted the award at the Atlanta Technology Professionals Awards Gala 2020 on November 19, 2020.

“It is always an honor and a blessing to be recognized by colleagues and peers who have a profound understanding of the work that we do. It is especially exciting to have the opportunity to not only be a technology evangelist, but specifically to garner attention for our commitment to digital inclusion for all of our residents.”

Benn earned his MBA with Belhaven University in May of 2018 and has worked for the Atlanta Housing Authority since 2012. He has been integral to the development and implementation of technology strategies that ultimately support 25,000 households and 55,000 residents in Atlanta.The housing authority provides and facilitates affordable housing resources for low-income households.

He is responsible for any and all technical projects as well as the agency's security programs in a number of departments within the Atlanta Housing Authority. The scope of Benn's job is broad and directly impacts his community in Atlanta. Much of his work with residents is educating them on digital technologies that can ultimately benefit his community.

“We have an added focus and intentionality specific to directly and positively impacting our residents (and our Atlanta community as a whole) by seeking to bridge the digital divide,” said Benn. “We have developed specific initiatives and strategies to ensure that digital inclusion and digital transformation extend to our 55,000 residents.”

Benn added, “I love the opportunity to be a servant leader - growing and empowering others, setting them up for success, and helping them to maximize their God-given potential individually and collectively.”