Board Member

Debra Newman brings to the Florida Cancer Support Network many years of experience as a Non-profit management leader and board or advisory board member of various organizations in Cleveland, Ohio, and Southwest Florida. Most recently, Debra served as Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, leading the charity to expand its brand and services in the community through expanded amenities to parents of hospitalized children, initiation of a college scholarship program, and a grants program providing financial assistance to other non-profit organizations serving children in Southwest Florida. Debra also helped lay the foundation for another Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, now serving children in both Lee and Collier Counties. Debra’s education includes a BSN in Nursing from the University of Cincinnati and a Non-Profit Executive Management Certification through the Kellogg School of Non-profit Management at Northwestern University.  

A twenty-seven-year Breast Cancer Survivor and one-year Lung Cancer Survivor, Debra knows quite well how early diagnosis, treatment, and support were vital to her health and survival. In helping others, she volunteered with the Susan G. Komen Southwest Florida affiliate as Chairman of the Grants Committee, helping area organizations dedicated to Breast Cancer initiatives with financial support essential to their success in providing diagnosis and treatment to the underserved in Southwest Florida. She most recently served on the executive board of directors for the Florida Breast Cancer Foundation and currently is a board of director for Partners in Breast Cancer Care of Southwest Florida.

Debra owns an Event Photography business, serving corporate and non-profit organizations seeking to enhance their brand with an engaging activity and branded photo gift. As an entrepreneur, she also serves on the advisory board of the Small Business Development Center at Florida Gulf Coast University and mentors aspiring entrepreneurs through the Microenterprise Program at Goodwill Industries. 

Debra lives in Southwest Florida with her husband, Joe. They have three grown sons and five grandchildren.