Deborah Pickett and her husband, Neil have called Indiana home for almost four decades and are grateful for the friends who have embraced and treated them like family over the years.  Before moving to Indiana, Deborah grew up and lived in New York State on the Hudson River surrounded by a large, boisterous, and loving family.

Her passion for learning about and solving community problems comes from growing up listening to family discussions about cleaning up the chemicals and sewage in the Hudson River and preventing the construction of a Con Edison power plant in the woods where she lived. Military service to country and fellow Americans extends back generations to include her grandfathers, father, uncles, and brother-in-law. Many are graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point and Vietnam veterans. Her brother-in-law is a Medal of Honor recipient.