A Project of
the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls,
the Women's Museum of California,
SDSU Women's Studies Department, and UCSD Women's Center.
Deborah Szekely
2014
Bridge Builder
Deborah Szekely has built bridges both locally and abroad for over seventy years. In 1940, Szekely and her husband Edmond founded Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico and in 1958 she established the Golden Door in Escondido, California.
In addition to her health and wellness work, Szekely was President of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF), an independent foreign-assistance agency of the United States government that awards grants directly to grassroots organizations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Szekely headed the Inter-American Foundation from 1984-1990 and was co-founder and co-president of the U.S.-Mexico Commission for Educational and Cultural Exchange. She is an internationally recognized fitness expert and serves on boards of directors locally and nationally.
In 1991, Szekely founded Eureka Communities, a national training program for CEOs and leaders of non-profit organizations dedicated to CEO mentoring, teamwork, and building bridges. In 2013, 92 year-old Szekely launched WellnessWarrior.org; a non-profit, online movement to secure happier, healthier lives for Americans via the prevention of illness, as well as assuring that our nation's food, water, and farmlands are free of chemicals and GMOs. Szekely has taught and promoted wellness and is internationally recognized as a pioneer of the mind/body/fitness movement. Deborah Szekely's work in health and wellness and in assisting nonprofits is what made her a genuine bridge builder.