Rear-Admiral (Ret’d) Jennifer Bennett successfully pursued two concurrent careers, one with the Canadian Armed Forces as a member of Canada's Reserve Force and the other as a teacher and school administrator. She retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in December 2019 after serving for more than 44 years, rising through the ranks to assume key institutional leadership positions and and influencing significant change across the institution.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario, she enrolled in the Naval Reserve in 1975 in HMCS STAR as a Naval Communicator and transferred to officer training in 1978.  Over the course of her career, Rear Admiral Bennett served in a variety of training, staff, leadership, and command positions across Canada while also working as a teacher and school administrator in elementary and secondary schools in Ontario and British Columbia.  

She was promoted to Commodore and commanded Canada’s Naval Reserve from 2007 to 2011 and upon promotion to Rear Admiral in 2011 she served as Chief of Reserves and Cadets, the highest Reserve position in the Canadian Armed Forces, where she oversaw Reserve policy, Employer Support and the Cadet and Junior Canadian Ranger youth programs. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she also served as National Champion for Women in Defence and Champion for Visible Minorities within the National Capital Region.  

Rear-Admiral (Ret’d) Bennett holds a Bachelor of Physical Education from McMaster University, a Bachelor of Education from Queen's University, a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University Victoria and was awarded an Honourary Doctorate from University of Alberta (Doctor of Laws) and an Honourary Doctorate from McMaster University (Doctor of Science).  

Since 2020, she has been an active volunteer with the Navy League of Canada, serving as Ontario Division President (2020–2023) before being elected National President in 2023 and re-elected in 2025, continuing to support youth development through the Sea Cadet and Navy League Cadet programs and maritime advocacy across Canada.  

Post retirement, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Bennett served on the Defence Advisory Board for five years and contributes to volunteer with several national organizations, including the Conference of Defence Associations and the Naval Reserve Association. She is also a patron for the Juno Beach Centre.  

Rear Admiral (ret’d) Bennett has been recognized for outstanding leadership, change management and exemplary service in the military and civilian communities. In 2011, she was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women as a Public Sector Leader and in 2013 she was promoted from Officer in the Order of Military Merit (OMM) which she received in 2005 to Commander (CMM).  She has also received Departmental Awards of Excellence from the Department of National Defence and Department of Justice, and a Chief of the Defence Staff Commendation.  

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