introducing Deborah Szekely

about Deborah Szekely

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.