Debbie is a self-employed veteran of the construction industry, with 20 years of experience building tract and custom housing. Having grown up in the industry, and being of an entrepreneurial spirit, she and her husband started their own custom home building company, where she assisted with everything from zoning and permitting to design and site management.

Debbie is the proud mother of two children, one who is diagnosed with autism and is non-verbal. Over the past 15 years of caring for her son with autism, Debbie has become highly qualified in advocacy. Additionally, in an effort to meet her son’s needs, she took it upon herself to attend graduate school classes in Applied Behavioral Analysis, and for many years, acted as a behavioral tech for her son, to help improve his communication skills and provide him with the needed functional skills.

Anticipating her son’s future needs, and out of concern for all individuals with IDD, Debbie’s next goal is to help develop a campus style, IDD inclusive community in Miami-Dade County. Her dream, like that of all parents, is for her son to live a productive, meaningful life. She intends to create a world where all of that is possible for her son and others who are vulnerable.