Debbie Cotton was born in North Carolina and grew up in Orange City, Florida in West Volusia and is the oldest of two brothers. Married for 13 years to husband Andy, a retired Volusia County Sheriff’s Deputy. Their 3 kids are a 15 year old Schnauzer named Chester, an 8 year old Lab mix, Caroline and a 6 year cat that adopted them , Lucky.
Debbie’s passion for helping businesses be successful started in the retail industry when she worked in a family owned Dress and bridal shop in Chattanooga, TN for 12 years from the early 80’s to 1996. During that time she learned the value of the customer experience and the importance of building relationships. In 1996 Debbie moved back to her hometown of Orange city and spent most of her career in Seminole County and the greater Orlando area.
Debbie started as a receptionist for the then Lake Mary/Heathrow Chamber of Commerce in 1998. During her 6 years at the chamber, it went through a merge becoming the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce where she was the Communications Director, responsible for all the events and producing the weekly newsletter. In 2006 Debbie left the chamber and went to work for Bell-Tel Credit union that was expanding to Seminole County, doing Business Development. During those 5 years, she continued to stay involved in the chamber to grow the Credit Union’s presence in the area.
In 2011, Debbie found her way back to the chamber and becoming the Vice President & Chief Operating Officer being named the Orlando Business Journals C Level awards, COO Honoree in 2014. Debbie was hired to be the President & CEO of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce in October of 2016.
Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Warner University in Organization Management. She serves as the incoming Chair for the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals and will complete her 3rd year at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute program in Athens, GA this year. Debbie will graduate with her IOM certification in 2018. The Institute of Organizational Management is a 4-year leadership program designed for Chamber and Association professionals. Debbie serves on the Ormond Beach Mainstreet Board of Directors.
Debbie enjoys running (well, sometimes), reading when she can and just enjoying the Florida lifestyle. She and hubby Andy are working on their bucket list of traveling to every island in the Caribbean.