Nursing Professional & Volunteer Debbie Trammell Joins KidWorks Board

Accomplished nursing professional and community volunteer Debbie Trammell of Newport Beach has recently joined the volunteer Board of Directors of KidWorks, a Santa Ana, California-based 501(C) (3) nonprofit organization.

Currently she chairs KidWorks’ annual Women’s Pickleball for a Purpose event and also mentors a KidWorks young adult who is a college freshman majoring in nursing.

Through her career in healthcare, she has been a clinical specialist with Abiomed, Access Scientific, and Thoratec; a surgical nurse at Newport Center Surgical; and an ICU nurse with Hoag Cardiovascular and CHOC Pediatric. She currently runs DST Consulting that works with medical device start-ups. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in the Science of Nursing from San Diego State University.

“I am excited to serve on the Board and contribute to such a wonderful organization,” she says. “I have a passion for underprivileged children and feel a responsibility to serve this population. So many children are falling through the cracks in our community.”

She has also volunteered for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) and Royal Family Kids Camp, a summer camp for kids in Orange County who are in the foster care system.

The mother of three daughters and three grandchildren with another on the way, she has also been a foster mom. When not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and playing pickleball.

“We are honored to add Debbie to our Board of Directors,” says David Benavides, KidWorks’ Chief Executive Officer. “Her strengths and experience will be invaluable to KidWorks. We’re fortunate to have a dedicated Board that reflects a broad spectrum of talented individuals from various industries and walks of life.”

In 2024, KidWorks commemorated 30 years of providing academic, leadership and personal development programs for children and teens in under-resourced neighborhoods in central Santa Ana. Since its inception, KidWorks has been investing in the lives of the city’s youngest residents and their families, firmly believing that a zip code should not determine a child’s future.

KidWorks creates an environment for youth to unleash their potential with mentorship and leadership development resources for the entire family. Its diverse programs, coupled with intentional guidance, fuel internal growth and set KidWorks students up for a meaningful and fulfilling future and career. For over 10 years, 100% of KidWorks seniors have graduated high school on time and continued to higher education.

To learn more about KidWorks and to read its success stories, please visit www.kidworksoc.org.

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About KidWorks

Since 1993, KidWorks has helped children, youth and families living in under-resourced neighborhoods in central Santa Ana, California. As a 501(C) (3) nonprofit, KidWorks makes an 18-year commitment to its students walking with students from “Pre-K through B.A.”

For over a decade, KidWorks celebrated that nearly 100% of our high school seniors graduated on-time and all pursued higher education. We are also proud to report that 72% of our college students returned to school this fall. In addition to our traditional after-school programs, we added supplemental support to better serve the needs of our students and families.

To learn more about KidWorks and to read its success stories, please visit www.kidworksoc.org.