(Photos from onePULSE Foundation)
ORLANDO | Honoring and preserving the legacy of the lives lost in the June 12, 2016 Pulse shooting tragedy: That’s the mission onePULSE Foundation strives to accomplish, and it will do so with the help of its newly appointed executive director, Deborah Bowie, onePULSE announced in a press release June 28.
Bowie has more than 30 years of nonprofit and public sector experience and is a highly accomplished, community-focused executive. She joins onePULSE at a crucial time as the foundation recently embarked on its new three-year strategic plan and is entering the next critical phases of the National Pulse Memorial & Museum and Orlando Health Survivors Walk’s final design, construction and operation, which is expected to be completed by 2026.
“I am honored and privileged to serve as executive director of onePULSE Foundation,” Bowie said in the release. “I look forward to working with our exceptionally talented staff and board members, our dedicated partners, and the community, to help drive onePULSE’s mission to create and support a memorial that opens hearts, a museum that opens minds, educational programs that open eyes and legacy scholarships that open doors.”
Earl Crittenden, chairman of the onePULSE Foundation Board of Trustees, said he and the board are extremely pleased to welcome Bowie as their new executive director. Crittenden is also a member of the Executive Director Selection Committee responsible for approving Bowie’s hiring.
“Deborah’s depth of knowledge and breadth of experience, combined with her strategic vision and unwavering dedication and passion, makes her uniquely qualified to lead onePULSE into this next stage of our journey to realize the National Pulse Memorial & Museum,” Crittenden said.
Bowie’s sister was fatally shot in a triple homicide in 1994 in Miramar, Florida and added: “I, too, understand what it means to have to rebuild every aspect of who you are after such a life-changing tragedy. It is with this additional sense of purpose, and drawing on my own personal grief journey, that I will strive to continue the advancement of onePULSE’s incredible work.”
Barbara Poma — onePULSE’s founder, previous executive director and member of the Executive Director Selection Committee — recently began focusing her work on the foundation’s national fundraising efforts as part of its new leadership structure.
“We are excited to bring Deborah on board as Executive Director of onePULSE,” Poma said. “Deborah is a dynamic, creative and skilled leader who brings to the role a wealth of relevant experience and expertise. We are confident that Deborah will help us continue to build upon the tremendous momentum we’ve established and propel our mission forward as we take the next steps towards the creation of the National Pulse Memorial & Museum.”
Bowie’s new role consists of overseeing all aspects of the foundation’s day-to-day operations, including staff, budget, fundraising, volunteers, task force, data, contracts, community and client relations and programs and all office administrative needs for the organization. She reports directly to the chairman of the board and is accountable to onePULSE Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Bowie’s public and nonprofit sector experience consists of holding several senior public administrator roles within Gainesville, Florida from May 2018 to January 2022, such as assistant city manager, interim city manager and executive chief of staff. She has also served as chief of staff for the mayor of Birmingham, Alabama and as senior public information officer for the office of the city council in the same city.
The new executive director gets her nonprofit experience from serving as president and CEO of the United Way of North Central Florida from January 2015 through June 2018. Bowie also served as vice president of development for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce from April 2013 to January 2015 and had responsibilities as director of Leadership Gainesville.
Before relocating to Florida, Bowie was senior director of public policy and communications at the Albany, Georgia Area Chamber of Commerce from March 2011 and April 2013 where she was also the Chamber’s registered lobbyist representing the interests of the Marine Corps Logistics Base.
Earlier aspects of Bowie’s career include working as a journalist for The Birmingham Post-Herald, TV stations WBRC-FOX6 and ABC 33/40 in Birmingham and as a field producer for WLS-ABC 7 News in Chicago. She received her Bachelor of Arts in communications from Xavier University of Louisiana and is currently completing her Masters in public administration from the University of Central Florida.
Originally from Miami, Bowie will be relocating from Gainesville to Orlando with her triplet children.
For more information on onePULSE Foundation, visit onePULSEFoundation.org.
