[1] She represented the electoral district of Esquimalt-Metchosin as a member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party caucus.

[1] She served as Minister of Children and Family Development in British Columbia in the cabinets of John Horgan and David Eby.

She was born in Sevenoaks, England[3] and worked in fundraising and development in organizations offering child protection social work and community-based social services across Great Britain for more than 20 years.

Prior to her election, Dean was appointed the executive director for Pacific Centre Family Services in 2007,[4] having moved to Victoria from England in 2005.

[5] Dean was appointed as the province's Parliamentary Secretary of the newly created Gender Equity Secretariat, in the Ministry of Finance, in February 2018 by Premier John Horgan.