The Spirit Center, welcomes Debbie Vickery as the new executive director and chief development officer, filling the position formerly held by Sherry Bowers who accepted a position with the American Heart Association as Executive Director.
Vickery brings more than 18 years of local nonprofit experience to The Spirit Center including as development director for HALO-Fight, division director for the March of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation and special projects coordinator for the Christus Spohn Development Foundation.
Vickery is a 10-year member, board member and currently president-elect for the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Texas Coastal Bend Chapter, a local and national organization that advances philanthropy by enabling people and organizations to learn and practice ethical and effective fundraising.
The Spirit Center is a Catholic retreat center embracing people of other faiths. It is located in a 100-acre tract near Bluntzer in western Nueces County and is still under development.
“Having spent several years at church youth camps, I personally understand the importance of providing a place for youth to strengthen their faith and develop their social skills,” Vickery said, “and adults benefit from a renewal center to retreat to from their harried schedules in order to refocus on their faith and regain their inner peace.”