Deborah M. Cannon became president and CEO of the Houston Zoo in February 2005 following a long career in banking. At the time of her retirement, she was directing business in 10 states in the Southwest, Midwest, and Texas and serving as president of Bank of America in Houston, the senior banking executive for community and civic activities in Harris County.

Cannon gained consumer, commercial, corporate, and international financial services expertise in a wide range of assignments. She directed banking operations in Brazil for nearly four years, served as district manager for the Midwest division of Corporate Banking, was president of a former subsidiary bank, and oversaw a number of other subsidiary banks. She was also responsible for managing the Texas Commercial Bank.

Cannon was the first woman president of a subsidiary bank, was the founding chairman of the Women’s Enterprise National Council, and was the first female chair of the Greater Houston Partnership. She also oversaw tremendous growth and revitalization of the Houston Zoo during her tenure as CEO, with admissions growing by more than 50%, member households fourfold, and revenues threefold, as well as a doubling of the staff.

Active in the Houston community, Cannon serves on a number of boards of directors, including the Greater Houston Partnership, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System Board, the Physicians Referral Services Board (which manages the retirement funds for the MD Anderson physicians), Houston Parks, and Bancorp South. She previously served on the MD Anderson Board of Visitors, as well as the boards of the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, The YMCA of Greater Houston, The Houston Technology Center, The Houston YET Center, and the Houston Business Development Inc. She was the founding member of the Executive Women’s Partnership of Houston. In 1998 she was presented the Women of Excellence Award by Women’s Enterprise Magazine and in 2004 received the Leadership Houston Award for Outstanding Leadership and the Houston Area Women’s Center Making a Difference Award.

A long-time resident of Texas, Cannon attended Georgetown University and graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BBA. She has completed International Lending Studies at the University of Virginia, the National Commercial Graduate School of Lending at the University of Oklahoma, and the Management of Manager's course at SMU.