In her role as CFO, Debra is responsible for delivering on DHA’s mission and serving as a good steward of the affordable housing programs that the agency operates. She leads the finance and accounting functions of the organization including the management of processes and systems, reporting, budgeting, and audits. She is also responsible for the development and management of the finance and accounting team, ensuring that DHA has top talent in these critical areas.
Debra joined DHA in 2024, bringing decades of accounting and finance experience to the team across a wide variety of corporate, nonprofit, and government roles. Most recently, she served as the chief financial and administrative officer for Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas for 20 years. During her tenure with Girl Scouts, she was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as Nonprofit CFO of the Year (2015). She has also held roles in accounting and finance at Yum! Brands and LG&E Power Inc.
She is a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor, having earned a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Kentucky and her MBA from the University of Louisville. Debra is active in the finance community as a member of the AICPA, Financial Executives Institute, Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Texas Society of CPAs.
