West Sacramento, Calif. — Effective Monday, November 4, Stanley Keasling is Rural Community Assistance Corporation’s (RCAC) senior advisor to the chief executive officer. He announced his retirement in early 2019, and Suzanne Anarde joined RCAC on Monday as the chief executive officer.

Keasling was RCAC’s chief executive officer since 2008. He was responsible for RCAC’s overall strategic direction, financial health and quality of services. Keasling supervised the chief financial officer and all department directors, reported to the Board of Directors, and carried out the policies established by the Board.

Keasling began his community development experience as a VISTA Volunteer with Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) in 1973. At SHE, Keasling worked with the self-help, multifamily and public facility programs. He helped establish the community development program, which then formed Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) in 1978. Keasling served as RCAC’s division director for community development programs from its inception in 1978 to 1982. He returned to SHE in 1982 as a program director where he supervised self-help housing and community development programs.

He became executive director of Rural California Housing Corporation (RCHC) in 1986, initiated the RCHC merger with Mercy Housing in 2000 and remained with Mercy Housing as vice president and senior vice president until July, 2006. Keasling worked as a private consultant for a short while prior to taking the helm at RCAC.

Founded in 1978, RCAC is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC serves rural communities in 13 western states and the Pacific islands. Services are available to communities with populations of fewer than 50,000, other nonprofit groups, Tribal and Native organizations, farmworkers, colonias and other specific populations. To learn more about RCAC, visit www.rcac.org.