GCCRD Directors

Marie Egyed

President | Director of Operations

IOLA, TX

 

Marie Egyed brings more than 25 years of experience in senior living, healthcare navigation, business development, and community relations to her role as Director of Operations for Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development. 

 

An entrepreneur and experienced organizer, Marie has founded and managed businesses in senior care, health and wellness, and real estate. Her volunteer work includes helping coordinate large, multi-day charity events, raising more than $150,000 combined for the Texas Children’s Cancer Research Center and Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital. She brings that same combination of organization, communication, resourcefulness, and persistence to her work with GCCRD.

 

Marie and her husband purchased their forever-home property in Grimes County in 2018 and moved here permanently in 2022. They were drawn to the peace, natural beauty, and rural way of life the county offered. When large-scale development began moving forward without adequate public awareness or community involvement, Marie helped organize GCCRD so residents could obtain reliable information, ask informed questions, and have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their property, resources, and future. She supports responsible growth while remaining committed to preserving the qualities that make Grimes County a special place to call home.

 

 

Bobbie Jo Swafford

Secretary | Director of Community Impact

IOLA, TX

 

Bobbie Jo Swafford brings more than a decade of nonprofit leadership experience to her role as Director of Community Impact for Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development.

 

She has built her career around servant leadership—developing people, building strong teams, and helping others recognize their own ability to make a difference. At GCCRD, she applies that same philosophy by working behind the scenes to understand complex issues, ask difficult questions, and advocate for residents whose lives may be shaped by the decisions being made today.

 

Bobbie chose Iola very intentionally. She wanted the peace and quiet of country life, stars at night, and a place where she could raise her son away from the constant rush of the city. She found that in Grimes County and fell in love with the community and the life it offered.

 

Her involvement with GCCRD comes from a desire to protect what brought her here while helping ensure that growth occurs thoughtfully and responsibly—and that the people who already call Grimes County home have a meaningful voice in what comes next.

 

 

Debra Morwood

Treasurer | Spiritual Chair

BEDIAS, TX

 

Debra Morwood brings decades of professional and service experience to her role as Spiritual Chair and Treasurer of Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development.

 

Her career spans engineering, construction, and the industrial gas industry, including 10 years with a major Houston-based engineering and construction company, two years helping build offshore jack-up rigs along the Houston Ship Channel, and 35 years with a Fortune Global 500 industrial gas company.

 

In 1999, while still working in the corporate sector, Debra began volunteering as a hospice chaplain. Following her first retirement, she continued that calling full time until retiring again in 2023.

 

She is an ordained, non-denominational minister and pastoral counselor, board-certified in clinical chaplaincy and pastoral counseling, and a certified grief counselor. Her education includes bachelor’s degrees in business administration and psychology, a master’s degree in theology, and a Ph.D. in clinical pastoral psychotherapy.

Debra’s family roots in Grimes County span many generations. After retiring, she returned to the area she loves to enjoy a quieter, more peaceful life near her brother. As new development began reshaping the county, she felt called to help residents stay informed, understand the changes taking place, and have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting their community and way of life.