Deal was born in England and raised in Michigan and spent 6 years in Ohio doing her undergraduate degree in Biology at Oberlin College and working at Case Western University in Cleveland as a medical research technician.
She then moved to jobs in education, training and research for UBC Continuing Studies, the BC Government’s Watershed Restoration Program and the David Suzuki Foundation.
She recruited housing activist Jim Green to the board of directors and in 2001 the choir performed a free concert of Handel’s Messiah in Blood Alley.
[6] Deal made it her mission to liven Vancouver’s streets by supporting installations of public art and cultural attractions and festivals like the city’s 125th-anniversary Summer Live concerts.
[7] Throughout her 16 year tenure as an elected official, Deal served on numerous boards and committees, and chaired several committees: Vancouver City Councillor 2005-2018 Served as Deputy Mayor, fulfilling diplomacy and protocol responsibilities Served as chair of committees and caucus Served as Council liaison to Citizen Advisory Committees, including Active Transportation, overseeing development/implementation of Transportation 2040 Arts and Culture, initiating Nightlife Council, Creative City and Music City Strategies Public Art, launching $1.5 Public Art Boost and Mural Fest Heritage Commission, driving and implementing new Heritage Action Plan Food Policy, initiating Vancouver Food Strategy and Food Truck Program Liaison to People with Disabilities Committee Vancouver Public Library Trustee Vancouver Art Gallery Board of Directors Represented City on many files and Boards Metro Vancouver[8][circular reference] Board and Committees Chair, Regional Parks Member of multiple Metro Vancouver committees, including Intergovernmental and Finance Solid Waste (Vice Chair) Environment and Energy Aboriginal Relations Regional Culture Electoral Area A Lower Mainland Local Government Association (MV Representative) Fraser Basin Council (MV Representative) Chair, Climate Change Committee Chair, Water and Watersheds Committee Member, Flood Mitigation Leadership Committee Federation of Canadian Municipalities[9][circular reference] Board member, advocating to Federal Government for Local Government priorities Chair, Environmental Issues and Sustainable Development Member of committees and working groups, including Social-Economic Development Women’s Participation in Municipal Government Community Safety and Crime Prevention Municipal Infrastructure and Transportation Urban Indigenous Working Group Rail Safety Working Group Since leaving City Hall in 2018, Deal has continued to be actively involved in civic life.