Ben Bentley, executive director and CEO of Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC), has earned an Outstanding Professional of the Year award from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). From left: NAHRO National President Sean Gilbert, Bentley and NAHRO CEO Mark Thiele.
Ben Bentley, executive director and CEO of Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC), has earned an Outstanding Professional of the Year award from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
Bentley received the award on Oct. 16 at NAHRO’s national conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. NAHRO’s highest and most prestigious award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to quality of life through service in the field of housing or community development.
“This award is a reflection of the entire staff at KCDC,” Bentley said. “While I was honored to be nominated and grateful to be recognized, I know the teamwork that leads to these awards and the vital role of our internal and external partners to achieve our housing and redevelopment goals. I congratulate every organization and individual honored at the national convention and celebrate the essential work being done across the country.”
Bentley was one of three executives honored with the award. Winners are selected across the country in four categories based on number of units or community population.
Bentley joined KCDC in 2017 and has played a defining role in addressing one of Knoxville’s most urgent challenges: the shortage of quality, affordable housing. He has led KCDC through a period of significant transformation that has generated more than $500 million in housing investment in Knoxville over the past decade, and expanded housing access while integrating parks, healthcare clinics, education partnerships and workforce pathways into redevelopment efforts.
Significant initiatives under Bentley include First Creek at Austin, which won multiple awards and combined millions in tax credit equity, municipal infrastructure funding and private financing to create a 446-unit mixed-income community, the first of its kind in Knoxville. First Creek at Austin is built on the site of the former Austin Homes, which was established in 1941 on nearly 23 acres.
The ongoing Transforming Western initiative at the site of the former Western Heights features enhanced access to housing, economic opportunity, transportation and youth development with funding that came in part from a highly competitive $40 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant. The first phase has opened, another phase is opening soon, and other phases are underway, including a public park and community amenities offering youth development, access to fresh food, entrepreneurship training and employment. Established in 1939, Western Heights was KCDC’s largest affordable housing development.
The award considered administration of housing and community development programs; significant impact on major community problems; political or governmental service in the field of housing/community development; economic innovation; technological contributions; legal reform; academic leadership; and influence of public opinion on programs through the news media or other means.
Between 2020 and 2029, KCDC has brought or is committed to bringing more than 1,200 affordable units to the Knoxville market. In 2025, KCDC partnered on five of 10 Multi-family Tax-exempt Bond Authority (MTBA) awards issued by the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, resulting in 732 additional affordable housing units approved for development. The efforts not only added units, but reshaped neighborhoods to support long-term opportunity, stability and sustainability.
KCDC’s partnerships with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have led to demonstration sites where emerging building technologies can be evaluated under actual operating conditions. Current and future areas of collaboration include high-efficiency HVAC systems, advanced insulation materials, renewable energy systems, building envelope performance and slab efficiency.
Bentley’s fostering of innovative solutions also factored into his award nomination with the introduction of Liberty Place and Lumen Flats. Liberty Place is a 32-unit community of one-bedroom apartments, including 16 fully accessible ADA units, with features such as walk-in showers, in-unit laundry and full furnishings for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Developed in partnership with Elmington Elevates, Lumen Flats is the first supportive housing community in the country to utilize project-based Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) vouchers, creating a replicable model that addresses many barriers young adults face when transitioning out of foster care.
NAHRO, which was established in 1933, is a membership organization of more than 26,000 housing and community development providers and professionals throughout the United States. NAHRO members create and manage affordable housing for low- and middle-income families, and support vibrant communities that enhance the quality of life for all.