Deborah Bowie, who served as executive director of the onePulse Foundation for more than a year, resigned Monday, effective immediately, she told the Orlando Sentinel.
Bowie took over as executive director from Barbara Poma, the former owner of Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed and 53 wounded. Bowie said she tried to bring transparency to the organization in her time but ultimately faced headwinds that predated her hiring.
“It’s been many months that brought me to this decision,” Bowie said Monday. “I’ve really bonded with this team. I feel like they’ve been caught in the middle of this mess just as I have.”
Bowie arrived at the foundation with 30 years of experience working in nonprofits and the public sector, with a history as the assistant city manager in Gainesville, and a former president and CEO of the United Way of North Central Florida.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the onePulse Foundation board said they were “saddened by Deborah’s resignation during this time of transition.”
“Deborah came into a situation that was difficult to say the least and faced a daunting set of challenges including the aftermath of COVID and the stalled negotiations over the Pulse property,” spokesperson Yolanda Londoño said in an email. “As a board comprised completely of volunteers, we rely on our professional staff to keep our efforts coordinated and focused, and we appreciate all Deborah has done to sustain the mission of the onePULSE Foundation, her respect for all stakeholders and her stewardship of staff and donors. We wish her nothing but success in her future endeavors.”
The foundation was formed in 2016 to build a national memorial to the shooting and also to build a museum nearby.
Since then, it’s been marred with controversy and ultimately has abandoned its two primary missions.
Survivors and their families have been critical of the foundation and the little progress toward a memorial, while paying its executives — including, for a time, Barbara Poma — high salaries.
In the past month, Barbara Poma, who left the foundation in April but retained ownership of the nightclub, sold the property to the city of Orlando for $2 million.
onePulse tried to secure a donation of the land from Barbara Poma, her husband Rosario Poma, and a Daytona businessman Michael Panaggio. But the deal fell apart earlier this year. At the time, a onePulse spokesperson said the nonprofit’s leaders were “shocked” and would look elsewhere for a place to build the memorial.
The city now plans to head up efforts toward building a permanent memorial on the nightclub site.
The foundation also has abandoned the proposed museum.
In 2018, Orange County pledged $10 million in tourist-development-tax revenue to the foundation and paid out $6.5 million of that – $3.5 million to purchase land near the nightclub site to build a museum and $3 million on design costs.
Last month, Bowie and the nonprofit’s board informed Mayor Jerry Demings that it was no longer planning to build the museum and surrendered the 1.7-acre property at West Kaley and Division streets back to Orange County.
That property, and other issues related to onePulse, are scheduled to be discussed by the Board of County Commissioners Nov. 28.
Bowie’s resignation follows Earl Crittenden Jr., who resigned as chairman of the onePulse board last month.
onePulse and other local officials have said the future of the nonprofit is uncertain, with some lawmakers calling for a forensic audit.
In the statement, Londoño said “the onePULSE Foundation Board is in the process of reevaluating its mission to make sure it aligns with the new realities.”
“We will keep everyone updated as those discussions evolve, and decisions are made as to the best way to honor the lives of the 49 Angels and to help with the continuing healing of all those impacted by the Pulse tragedy,” Londoño said.
Bowie said that while the nonprofit’s financials are all posted to its website, she said such documents can be difficult for people to understand, and an audit could help.
“I think it’s appropriate,” she said. “I always say if you take public money, expect public scrutiny.”
Bowie said much of her tenure was spent trying to rebuild fractured relationships with survivors and families, who have long said they felt excluded by the foundation’s work.
“In many ways, the exposure, I hope, I pray, have allowed the community to get closer to a memorial,” she said. “That really was the North Star, but it got lost somewhere along the way.”
