Chief Executive Officer, The DragonFly Consulting Group, A Kingdom Sourced LLC
Debra received her B. S. in Child Development/Child Care and Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983 and her M. S. in Information Science from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. She received her Contracts Administration diploma from Cornell University in 1998, her International Business Management diploma from Georgetown University in 2013, and her Financial Accounting certificate from Harvard Business School Online in 2020.
Debra joined Exxon in 1985 and worked in Information Systems before she transitioned to Retail Fuels Marketing five years later. She held various positions as a Systems Analyst, Corporate Planner, Financial Analyst, Project Manager and managed various operational segments of the Retail Fuels business.
From January 2000 through February 2018, Debra served as the Americas Product Optimization Manager for ExxonMobil Refining and Supply responsible for western hemisphere product optimization; the Midwest Business Unit Manager in the ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company responsible for the Dealer and Distributor classes of trade; the Caribbean Fuels Marketing Manager and Vice President of ExxonMobil Inter-Americas responsible for providing functional guidance to the Retail, Industrial & Wholesale and Terminal Operations business segments; the US Regional Sales Manager for the Industrial & Wholesale business; the Global Retail Brand Manager for ExxonMobil’s Fuels & Lubricants Company, responsible for building brand value through marketing communications for the Esso, Exxon and Mobil brands; the Retail Fuels Marketing Manager for the Americas responsible for market strategy development, program development and implementation for Loyalty, Card Payment Offers, as well as integrated marketing communications for TV, Radio, Digital and On-Site Advertising; a Loaned Executive to the United Way of Greater Houston, providing strategic support for their $80M city-wide fundraising campaign and Global Internal Communications Executive responsible for proactively, innovatively and creatively informing, engaging ambassadors on behalf of the President and his leadership team. Effective March 1, 2018, Debra elected to retire after a fulfilling and empowering international career.
Regardless of where Debra called home, she found a way to be actively involved in the community. Debra served on the Advisory Board of BEST – the Black Employee Success Team at ExxonMobil and the Downstream Women’s Leadership Team focused on professional development and mentoring. She served as an Advisor and Trustee for the Miami-Dade United Way. She was a member of the Board of Trustees for the United Way of Greater Union County in New Jersey. Debra served as a Board Member for the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida. She served on the Board of Directors for the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Urban League. Debra currently serves as Chair of the Board of Visitors for the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information. She is a member of Pitt Commons and an Alumni in Residence, both of which provide mentoring, coaching, and support for undergraduate and graduate students and alumni. Debra is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Debra was the recipient of the 2007 Trumpet Award – High Heels in High Places Award. In April 2013, Debra received the Howard University John H. Johnson School of Communications’ Global Visionary Leadership Award. In October 2014, she was named a Distinguished Alumni and was inducted into the Society of Legacy Laureates, one of the highest honors at her alma mater, The University of Pittsburgh. Debra was honored by her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, with an Emerald Award in 2019 and a Green Diamond Award in 2020, recognizing the support of educational advancement through philanthropy. In 2021, Debra was inducted into the University of Pittsburgh’s 1787 Society because of her philanthropic planned giving through scholarship awards.
In retirement, Debra founded The DragonFly Consulting Group, A Kingdom Sourced LLC. As CEO, she focuses on mentoring, coaching, and being a solutionist for individuals and businesses under Debra King Coaching. She is a certified Life and Health Coach. Debra recently published an autobiographical book/workbook called Dare to Climb: Your Journey Can Move Mountains. In Dare to Climb, Debra takes the reader through her life experiences and, at the end of each chapter, asks questions to provoke thought and inform success in the reader’s life.
Debra attends The Woodlands Methodist Church, where she is a supporter of Hope Beyond Bridges and the Family Promise homeless outreach ministries. She enjoys supporting and attending weekly Bible study. In her spare time, she loves trekking various mountainous regions (reached the highest peak of Kilimanjaro in December 2013), attending NBA games, Dave Matthews Band concerts, and listening to books. Debra has set foot on all seven continents and has visited 78 countries thus far as she strives to see as many countries as she can. Debra is single and resides in The Woodlands, Texas, with her Mother and Egyptian Mau cat appropriately named Pharaoh.