Deborah Duncan has been a media personality for twenty years, as a new anchor or talk show host in Austin, Dallas, New York and Houston. As host of KHOU-TV’s Great Day Houston, her job calls on her to give people information to empower their lives, to give voice to the business community, to provide calm in the midst of disaster and to lend a hand to non-profits.
Deborah’s early years were spent in Taiwan and Japan as a military brat. Moving frequently, her insistence on immediately learning everything about her new friends honed her interviewing skills. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she began a career that has earned her local and national awards for television excellence and for community service. One of her most prized is the Emmy Award for an ensemble Christmas CD benefitting Star of Hope.
When her brother was killed by a drunk driver, Deborah was touched in a very personal way. “Sometimes you might not pick your cause or charity,” she says. “It picks you.” She feels there is no better way to honor her brother than to talk to others about the dangers of drunk driving, and she now is on the National Board of Directors of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Deborah also serves on the boards of Palmer Drug Abuse Program, The Bridge (for women and children escaping domestic violence) and Santa Maria Hostel, a residential drug rehabilitation program for women and children. She believes “if you let God use you, you don’t have to figure out how” and whether one person benefits or one million, it is the act that is important.
Deborah’s gregarious personality is contagious and it plays an integral part in the success of the many charitable events that she emcees by making donors easily part with their money and bringing a feeling of joy and fun to very serious fundraising efforts.
Deborah is blessed with a wonderful husband and son who are proud to share her with her audiences.