Deborah Booth retired in Fall 2014 from NIU, where she was the director of External Programs for the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
In that role, she ran the NIU Community School of the Arts and organized summer residential arts camps. Earlier jobs included newspaper reporter and public television producer.
She has a bachelor's degree from Franklin and Marshall College and a master's degree in English/film from NIU.
She enjoys films, gardening, music, and reading and currently is working her way through biographies of all the U.S. presidents.
She and her husband Colin have two grown children and have lived in Illinois since 1984.