Meet the new team at The Paradise Center

There are two new leading ladies of The Paradise Center on Longboat Key. 

New Executive Director Amy Steinhauser and Program Manager Debby Debile hope to bring a fresh start to the Center and offer opportunities for everyone to create a community on Longboat.

Steinhauser became the program manager of the center in April 2023. She moved to Longboat Key in 2021 to be close to her childhood best friend and former Executive Director Suzy Brenner. 

Along with managing membership and administrative items in her program manager position, Steinhauser started offering sound baths once a month to share her passion for reiki and sound healing. 

After working there for almost a year, Steinhauser was a natural replacement for Brenner, who recently resigned after seven years. 

Photo by Petra Rivera

Debile is the founder of Feel Good Yoga and Massage in Mediterranean Plaza. She started teaching yoga classes at The Paradise Center two years ago after she had to close her yoga studio due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Debile has dived into the community at The Paradise Center since she started, by helping out at different events and attending other classes. When Steinhauser’s position opened, Debile’s dedication and previous experience as a program manager for another nonprofit made her the perfect fit to take over the position.

Steinhauser and Debile committed to the level of teamwork that is required to lead the center, since they are both into energetic practices such as yoga and sound healing.

Steinhauser’s spirited personality matched with Debile’s calm headspace allows them to workshop ideas from different perspectives.

Their first order of business was to freshen up the space and make it more their own with new decor and organization of the rooms. Steinhauser said that the members commented positively on the bright new atmosphere. 

The duo is planning to redesign the board room and turn it into a community space. Since they only have a board meeting once a month, they think the room will provide a “third place” for people to meet up when there isn’t a class or to stay after events. 

Although the Tidewell Foundation building is for sale, Steinhauser said they're not worried about what is going to happen to the building. The center currently has a year lease but if for any reason, they said they would be ready to find a new space. Debile said the support of the community and the needs they provide will be enough to ensure their future on the island.

Photo by Petra Rivera

Their current priority is bringing new people to diversify the demographic. Debile has started introducing clients from her other business to the center and has encouraged them to get involved. They also are trying new social media tactics and renovating their Google Business site. 

The team wants to rent the space out to new instructors and start offering more classes. Steinhauser said that they are focusing on creating opportunities for men to find community in the area. With their demographic being mostly women, they plan to start offering events that appeal to men as well such as trivia nights and free movie nights. 

Steinhauser has been networking with different people from organizations across the island. This process began with Brenner, but she has loved branching out on her own and getting to know people more on a personal level. 

“It’s not just a job to us,” said Debile. “When you love what you do, it bleeds in a beautiful way into everything. That is how we feel about it. So we are really dedicated to making this a space where anyone can find friends, healthy activities and just be a comfortable place to be themselves.”