The Dallas City Council appointed D’Andrala “DeDe” Alexander to represent the city on the DART Board of Directors, starting in July 2023. She is vice chair of the Communications Subcommittee and was a member of the DART Board Administrator Search Committee.

DeDe is a lifelong public servant and mental health professional. She is the Director of Clinical Partnerships at Spring Health and a licensed professional counselor. Previously, she has worked as a mental health clinician for the Dallas County Juvenile Department, as a psychiatric inpatient counselor at Green Oaks Hospital, a mental health professional for Metrocare Services, and served at AmeriCorps VISTA for Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County. DeDe has also served on the board of trustees of Metrocare Services.

Most important to her, DeDe is the co-founder of Dallas Neighbors for Housing, an advocacy organization that strives to help build a welcoming city where everyone has an affordable place to live that is close to jobs, transit, parks, and food. The organization advocates for improving and increasing housing in Dallas, while also creating more paths to home ownership.

In her time as a counselor, she has heard countless stories about the issues Dallas residents face including a lack of affordable housing and difficulty accessing public transportation. DeDe believes that the Dallas area works best when all residents have the resources they need to reach their full potential. She shared,

“Growing up in East Plano, I loved being able to take the train as a teen to basketball tournaments in downtown Dallas. Now, as an adult, I know that people use DART to get to far more serious places. As a counselor, I have often given DART passes to my patients as a crucial part of their well-being plan so that they could get to jobs, medical appointments, and community resources.

There are people who really need DART, and need it to work well, and they are often forgotten about. You may not ride transit, but the people who clean your office, work in the restaurants you visit, or wash your car do, so you still benefit from it. These people are always on my mind.

I want to do my part to ensure that DART exists – and well serves – those who need it for everyday life. Having a world-class transit system is imperative to the success of the entire North Texas region. DART is one of those community assets that lifts all boats.”

DeDe holds a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master's degree in psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Thank you, DeDe, for your community activism in the City of Dallas, and for bringing a fresh and needed perspective to the DART Board.

The Dallas City Council appointed D’Andrala “DeDe” Alexander to represent the city on the DART Board of Directors, starting in July 2023. She is vice chair of the Communications Subcommittee and was a member of the DART Board Administrator Search Committee.

DeDe is a lifelong public servant and mental health professional. She is the Director of Clinical Partnerships at Spring Health and a licensed professional counselor. Previously, she has worked as a mental health clinician for the Dallas County Juvenile Department, as a psychiatric inpatient counselor at Green Oaks Hospital, a mental health professional for Metrocare Services, and served at AmeriCorps VISTA for Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County. DeDe has also served on the board of trustees of Metrocare Services.

Most important to her, DeDe is the co-founder of Dallas Neighbors for Housing, an advocacy organization that strives to help build a welcoming city where everyone has an affordable place to live that is close to jobs, transit, parks, and food. The organization advocates for improving and increasing housing in Dallas, while also creating more paths to home ownership.

In her time as a counselor, she has heard countless stories about the issues Dallas residents face including a lack of affordable housing and difficulty accessing public transportation. DeDe believes that the Dallas area works best when all residents have the resources they need to reach their full potential. She shared,

“Growing up in East Plano, I loved being able to take the train as a teen to basketball tournaments in downtown Dallas. Now, as an adult, I know that people use DART to get to far more serious places. As a counselor, I have often given DART passes to my patients as a crucial part of their well-being plan so that they could get to jobs, medical appointments, and community resources.

There are people who really need DART, and need it to work well, and they are often forgotten about. You may not ride transit, but the people who clean your office, work in the restaurants you visit, or wash your car do, so you still benefit from it. These people are always on my mind.

I want to do my part to ensure that DART exists – and well serves – those who need it for everyday life. Having a world-class transit system is imperative to the success of the entire North Texas region. DART is one of those community assets that lifts all boats.”

DeDe holds a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master's degree in psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Thank you, DeDe, for your community activism in the City of Dallas, and for bringing a fresh and needed perspective to the DART Board.

The Dallas City Council appointed D’Andrala “DeDe” Alexander to represent the city on the DART Board of Directors, starting in July 2023. She is vice chair of the Communications Subcommittee and was a member of the DART Board Administrator Search Committee.

DeDe is a lifelong public servant and mental health professional. She is the Director of Clinical Partnerships at Spring Health and a licensed professional counselor. Previously, she has worked as a mental health clinician for the Dallas County Juvenile Department, as a psychiatric inpatient counselor at Green Oaks Hospital, a mental health professional for Metrocare Services, and served at AmeriCorps VISTA for Habitat for Humanity of South Collin County. DeDe has also served on the board of trustees of Metrocare Services.

Most important to her, DeDe is the co-founder of Dallas Neighbors for Housing, an advocacy organization that strives to help build a welcoming city where everyone has an affordable place to live that is close to jobs, transit, parks, and food. The organization advocates for improving and increasing housing in Dallas, while also creating more paths to home ownership.

In her time as a counselor, she has heard countless stories about the issues Dallas residents face including a lack of affordable housing and difficulty accessing public transportation. DeDe believes that the Dallas area works best when all residents have the resources they need to reach their full potential. She shared,

“Growing up in East Plano, I loved being able to take the train as a teen to basketball tournaments in downtown Dallas. Now, as an adult, I know that people use DART to get to far more serious places. As a counselor, I have often given DART passes to my patients as a crucial part of their well-being plan so that they could get to jobs, medical appointments, and community resources.

There are people who really need DART, and need it to work well, and they are often forgotten about. You may not ride transit, but the people who clean your office, work in the restaurants you visit, or wash your car do, so you still benefit from it. These people are always on my mind.

I want to do my part to ensure that DART exists – and well serves – those who need it for everyday life. Having a world-class transit system is imperative to the success of the entire North Texas region. DART is one of those community assets that lifts all boats.”

DeDe holds a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and a master's degree in psychology from the University of Houston-Victoria.

Thank you, DeDe, for your community activism in the City of Dallas, and for bringing a fresh and needed perspective to the DART Board.