Debra Nelson
President | Elevate Communication
Debra Nelson is President of Elevate Communications, a professional development and communication services firm that provides customized training and communication solutions. Prior to founding Elevate, Debra held executive appointments in media, higher education, automotive manufacturing, construction and gaming and hospitality.
Debra’s professional career began as a journalist in radio and television. A few years later, she was named Director of Media Relations at the University of Alabama System. She was recruited to help introduce Mercedes-Benz US International and the Mercedes-Benz M-Class vehicle to global markets. Executive appointments followed at Mercedes-Benz USA, DaimlerChrysler, and MGM Resorts International where, as vice president, she is credited with steering the diversity initiative to national prominence.
Debra has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading diversity and inclusion practitioners by Black Enterprise, DiversityInc, Savoy, and Global Gaming Business magazines. Automotive journalists named her “Woman of the Year” for impacting diversity in the auto industry. Profiles in Diversity Journal named her a “Woman Worth Watching” and she was inducted into the Nevada Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, where she holds its highest honor, the Athena Award for Leadership. She is recipient of the “Woman of Distinction” award from the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. In 2020, she became the first woman and first African American to receive the Leadership Award from the Engineering Council of Birmingham, and she was named an Outstanding Alumna of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama. She is recognized among the “Top Women in Birmingham” by the Birmingham Business Journal.
As board chair of the Urban Chamber of Commerce in Las Vegas, Nevada, Debra led negotiations for the operations of a multi-million-dollar business incubator that serves small and minority businesses. She established the Diversity Professionals Network as a platform for sharing and promoting best practices in the gaming and hospitality industry. She collaborated with a team of corporate executives to establish diversity curricula at Cornell University. Additionally, she founded the award-winning Women’s Leadership Conference in Nevada, an annual national event that promotes the development of women leaders.
Debra serves on the boards of Noland Health Services Incorporated, WBHM Public Radio, and the Board of Visitors for the College of Communication and Information Sciences at UA, where she is a former board chairperson. She is also a member of the President’s Cabinet at UA. Because of her commitment to education, Debra and Elevate Communications funded an endowed scholarship at The University of Alabama to support the higher education aspirations of young women, who, like her, grew up without mothers.
Coaching specialty: Executive/Personal/Professional Development/DEI