Deborah Cross Antoine was born and raised in Bristol County, Massachusetts, the second oldest of six siblings. She graduated from Joseph Case High School, and after earning her B.A. in education from Fitchburg State, Deborah earned her M.A. from Salve Regina University, and then her EdD from Columbia University. Though she began her career as a 12th-grade English teacher, it didn't take long for her to realize that she wanted to make a broader systemic impact, and since then, it's been her life's work to help people by improving quality of life in underserved communities. Over the course of her career, Deborah has had the honor of serving as an executive with six amazing nonprofit organizations: the HOPE Program in New York City, which she founded; the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation; Per Scholas; PBS Flagship Station Channel Thirteen; New York Junior Tennis & Learning; and the Women's Sports Foundation, which was established by the iconic Billie Jean King.Deborah currently serves on several boards and committees, including the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Mayor's Health Committee for the City of Yonkers, as well as RX Compassion, an organization dedicated to addressing inequities in maternal health care, which she founded with her husband, Dr. Clarel Antoine, one of the nation's top OB-GYNs.Nowadays, Deborah divides her time between New York, Massachusetts, Florida, and traveling the world. When she's not writing or researching her family history, she's enjoying life with Clarel, playing tennis, visiting friends, and spending every spare moment with their wonderful family, which includes four adult daughters and six grandchildren.TwoForksTwoSpoons.com
