A native of Pittsburgh, Debra has returned to her hometown with her husband John after living and working in New York, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

She is a graduate of North Hills Senior High School, graduated cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and earned a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Prior to joining the Executive Team, Debra worked as a project manager and policy consultant at Arup, a global consulting and design firm. With over a decade of experience, her projects have included strategy work with the World Bank, APEC, and the C40 cities. She has spoken and published numerous articles on sustainable development, climate change, and urban resilience. Debra was amongst the 35 high achievers awarded a place on Management Today’s “35 Women Under 35″ list, and a finalist for Women of the Future, Science and Technology.

Debra has lived and worked across the globe, and speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.

As Chief Innovation & Performance Officer, Debra oversees all technology, sustainability, performance, and innovation functions of city government.