Debbie Espinosa, MPS, CNP

Ang kultural na ugat ng dedikasyon ni Debbie sa pamilya, komunidad, at pangangalaga sa mga nangangailangan ay naging batayan ng kanyang hilig na magtrabaho sa Nonprofit na sektor. Bilang anak ng isang immigrant na pamilyang Pilipino, iniuugnay niya ang pundasyon ng kanyang panloob na lakas at pagkatao sa mga aral na natutunan mula sa paglalakbay ng kanyang pamilya sa US. Batay sa kanilang paniniwala na ang American Dream ay maaaring makamit sa pamamagitan ng pagsusumikap, tiyaga, at pangangalaga sa iba bago ang sarili, noong Pebrero 2018, si Debbie ay naging Presidente at CEO ng FIND Food Bank, ang Regional Food Bank ng Desert.

With over 30 years as an experienced Non-profit professional, Debbie’s both planned and serendipitous path has afforded her experiences at the regional, national, and international levels. These include Director of Programs for the Contra Costa and Solano area (overseeing a 16 county food bank in Northern, CA),  the Compliance and Capacity Development Manager for 37 food banks in the Southwest Sector of the US at the National Office of Feeding America, and the Strategic Programs and Operations consultant for the Global Food Banking Network and Walmart Mexico y Centro America. There she supported the development of the first national food banking networks in Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Debbie also actively engages in the advancement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Recognized for her work in nonprofit management, hunger relief, and DEI, Debbie has keynoted and led workshops at 5 national conferences in these subjects. From 2015-2017 she served as the National President of the Association of Certified Non-Profit Professionals. In 2015, she was featured in the Repasuhin sa Negosyo ng Baylor University for her “hard-core business acumen” in cross-sector management of both Non-Profits and For-Profits. In 2017, she was a nominee for the Independent Sector’s NexGen award and was presented with a national Non-Profit Leadership Award by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. In 2021, she was featured in multiple local, state, and pambansang mga artikulo para sa kanyang kakayahang i-pivot ang FIND para makapaghatid ng higit sa 190,000 taong walang katiyakan sa pagkain (higit sa isang 110% na pagtaas sa mga tao) within 6 weeks of the onset of the covid pandemic. And most recently, in 2022, she was awarded the Mary T. Roche Award from the Woman’s Leaders Forum of The Coachella Valley.

Debbie currently, holds 2 National positions in the Feeding America (FA) Network. She is the immediate Past Chair of the FA National Council, serving as the first person of color as the Chair of the highest elected body in the US, focused on overall strategy and innovation of the 200 Feeding America Network food banks in the US. She is also as member of the National Feeding America Strategic Framework Planning Council, whose goal is to establish the national 2030 Strategic Framework for the Feeding America network of food banks. She is a member on the Non-Profit Leadership Alliance National Board, and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) Riverside County Board. She has also served as a Board Member on the Feeding America National Board of Directors which is currently the largest non-profit organization in the US.

Si Debbie ay lumaki sa Puyallup, WA, na lumipat sa California pagkatapos ng pagtatapos ng kolehiyo. Ipinagmamalaki niyang angkinin ang Pacific Northwest at California bilang kanyang mga tahanan. Kasama sa kanyang edukasyon ang International Baccalaureate Program, isang Bachelor of Arts mula sa Rockhurst University na may double major sa Comparative Religion and Sociology na may minor sa Human Service, isang Masters of Professional Studies sa Community and Economic Development mula sa Penn State University, at isang Certified Non-Profit Professional (CNP).

Most importantly, Debbie has two wonderful daughters who are both in college and, a one-eyed Shih Tzu named Pabu (“Paw-boo”).  And, because of her passion for feeding people combined with her love for the Arts and all things outdoors (gardening, golfing, hiking, skiing, basking in the sun), the beautiful Coachella Valley makes her feel like she’s “Living the Dream” every day.