Staff

Acting Executive Director

Deanna Debrecht | Deanna.Debrecht@wsambassadors.org

Deanna is thrilled to take on the role of Acting Executive Director for the Ambassadors. She has lived in Winston-Salem since 2012, and loves the richness of Winston Salem’s history and diversity. She became involved with the Winston-Salem Ambassadors in 2023 and joined the Board shortly thereafter.

Deanna worked as a Segway Tour Guide in Winston Salem for several years and loves sharing Winston-Salem with visitors. Deanna is a 2024 graduate of the Leadership Winston-Salem Flagship program, and continues to learn about and sink her roots into this city that she loves. She looks forward to continuing the mission of the Ambassadors by welcoming all and sharing her love for Winston-Salem. 

Growing up as a Navy brat, Deanna never knew how to answer the question “where are you from?” Now, she simply answers “I’m from the Navy”. Moving to NC in 2012 brought her full circle, as she was born in Raleigh, NC, while her dad was attending NC State after six years as an enlisted sailor. After multiple moves around the country, Deanna earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University, then a Master of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Deanna started her career at Edgewood Children’s Center in Webster Groves, Missouri (now part of KVC Missouri), where she helped develop a Therapeutic Foster Care program. The years she spent at Edgewood gave her a profound understanding of the impact a caring, supportive environment can have on children, their families, and our society as a whole. Looking back now, those years in St Louis laid the foundation for Deanna’s lifelong passion towards supporting children and families, as well as her efforts to make the world more caring and just. 

Deanna is married to Doug and they have three grown children. They lived in six different states while raising their children, and with each move, Deanna found new opportunities to continue living out her purpose of making her community a caring, supportive place. Her current volunteer positions include serving as a Class Connector for Leadership Winston-Salem Class of 2024, Precinct Chair with the Forsyth County Democratic Party, and volunteering with the Winston-Salem Freedom Schools. 

Deanna’s other passions include exploring new places, reading, and visiting friends and family. She has been to 46 of the 50 states in the USA, and dreams of spending a month in a different country each year once her husband retires. Her family nickname is “Tour Guide Barbie” as she is known for her ability to remember random, fascinating tidbits of knowledge about places and her excitement about sharing those tidbits with others.

She loves meeting new people and building connections. Feel free to reach out at deanna.debrecht@wsambassadors.org!