Deborah A. Terrell first became involved in politics when she discovered sand pits being dug behind her farm. The land was not zoned for digging sand, meaning the pits were being created illegally, and she took the issue to the city council, where she was met with a dead end on the issue. She was told that the city did not have the money to fight the problem. After inquiring about where city funds were being directed, Ms. Terrell discovered there was ongoing corruption within the city, and she resolved to fight it.
After securing election to the city council, Ms. Terrell found out that an official meeting of the group had not been held for two years. With the help of a Texas Ranger, she put a stop to the corruption of a former city administrator who misappropriated more than $1 million during a period of multiple years. Ms. Terrell considers this her most notable and important professional achievement. In 2019, she was elected as mayor pro tem of the city of Aurora, Texas.
Having graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics in 1979, Ms. Terrell started working as a beef herdsman on the Moyer Farm in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, where she remained until 1981. At the same time, she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a commodity grader. From 1982 to 1984, she garnered invaluable experience as a production supervisor for Gold Kist Inc., and for the next three years, she worked for the Campbell Soup Company as a parts manager in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Following a year as a sales production coordinator at Zacky Farms, Ms. Terrell was a sales distribution and transportation manager at Roxford Foods/PTS Transportation in Fresno, California, from 1988 to 1990.
Following her relocation to Texas, Ms. Terrell found success as a module leader with AmeriCold Logistics LLC from 1997 to 1999 before accepting a role as a logistics coach for JCPenney in Alliance, Texas, where she spent more than a decade. In 2014, she became JCPenney’s area manager of shipping and special projects, and in 2015, she started as the area manager of consolidation and GOH (garment on hanger). Ever industrious, Ms. Terrell was the farmer, proprietor, marketer, and product developer for Luv A Luffa and Chatty’s Gourmet Dog Treats from 2012 to 2017. Since then, she has excelled as the founder and principal of her Aurora-based business, Nature’s Circle, which provides farm products, including Luffa, Luffa cat toys, plants, soap, dog treats, dairy goat products, honey, and farm art. Among her professional influences, she credits Bill Rittenhouse, with whom she worked at Roxford Foods, for mentoring her in the agricultural sector. Ms. Terrell was also inspired and motivated by businesswoman, producer, and talk show host Oprah Winfrey. She grew up watching The Oprah Winfrey Show and considers it an important influence on her life and success.
Alongside her endeavors as an agriculturalist and a public servant, Ms. Terrell was a board member for the Promise of Peace Community Gardens in Dallas, Texas, from 2019 to 2021. She has been an ambassador for Subaru since 2016 and a member of the Pollinator Partnership since 2018. The Pollinator Partnership is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of pollinators and their ecosystems. Her aptitude for leadership has been a persistent part of her professional journey. As early as 1979, Ms. Terrell received the Leadership Award from New Jersey 4-H, and she has also been listed in Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives.
In the coming years, she plans to finish two books she is working on as well as witness and contribute to the continued improvement of Aurora. She hopes to help her fellow citizens heal after years of misuse of city funds and a lack of investment in public services. In moments of leisure, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her dogs.
