Debra launched Building STEPS in 1999 with the purpose of creating a college pathway for underrepresented students to become STEM professionals. Today, she oversees all aspects of this Baltimore not for profit, from developing and maintaining corporate and institutional partners to advising the Board on creating and implementing growth strategies. Prior to launching Building STEPS, she was the principal of The Morlan Group, LLC, providing redevelopment consulting services throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s The Leadership and has been honored by the Baltimore Business Journal as Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She earned her Project Management Professional certification in 2020. Outside of work, Debra can be found hiking the trails of Maryland’s parks.