Deborah Strebel Pierce, a pioneering figure in law enforcement, led a career marked by numerous outstanding achievements. Holding a master’s degree in sports psychology from Cleveland State University and a Bachelor of Arts in health and physical education from Baldwin Wallace College, Ms. Pierce began her professional journey as a health and physical education teacher and coach for five years in the Berea City School District in Ohio.
To supplement her income at the time, Ms. Pierce worked as a waitress. A waitress colleague encouraged her to consider a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she was hired in 1979. After training at the FBI Academy, she was assigned to the Cleveland office where her field training agent became her future husband, Don Pierce. She specialized in white-collar crime, particularly fraud and corruption, while she was also successful as an undercover agent.
Through the years, Ms. Pierce took on increasingly significant roles within the FBI. She advanced to management, becoming the relief fraud desk supervisor, and later moved to Washington, D.C., along with her husband. There, she was assigned to the Alexandria field office as co-case agent for “Operation Ill-Wind” a Pentagon procurement fraud case. In 1988, she was promoted to supervisor in the Undercover Unit at FBI Headquarters (FBIHQ), where she monitored nationwide undercover operations and helped train undercover agents. Ms. Pierce’s career continued to ascend as she transferred to Sacramento, California, to lead the fraud and corruption squad. In this role, she supervised the end of a long-term undercover operation targeting the state legislature, which resulted in the prosecution of many officials. Her exceptional performance led her to a promotion in 1996, becoming the assistant special agent in charge of the Milwaukee office. There, she oversaw cases related to white-collar crime, criminal matters, terrorism, and intelligence operations within the state of Wisconsin.
Still progressing steadily in her career, from 1999 to 2001, Ms. Pierce worked in the Inspection Division at FBIHQ, conducting inspections of field and overseas offices. Immediately after the 9/11 attacks, she commanded the night shift of the Strategic Intelligence Command Center at FBIHQ overseeing the compilation of terrorism intelligence for the President of the United States’ daily briefing. In October, she was promoted to special agent in charge of the Minneapolis Division covering three states and multiple criminal and terrorism investigations, as well as task forces in partnership with state and local law enforcement.
In 2004, Ms. Pierce became the first female deputy assistant director of the Criminal Division at FBIHQ, overseeing a wide range of criminal programs including major theft and organized crime. She retired from the FBI in 2006, leaving a legacy of trailblazing achievements. Post-retirement, Ms. Pierce has continued to share her experiences as a visiting instructor at St. Catherine University and at the University of Minnesota. She was the Republican National Committee coordinator for the State of Minnesota in 2007 and established Pierce Consulting in 2008, offering security advice to a broader audience. She was a co-founder of the Pierce-Weber Partnership from 2010 to 2018 sharing insights into the FBI and the CIA to multiple groups. Additionally, she met with police services in multiple foreign countries at the request of the State Department to encourage the hiring and promotion of female law enforcement officers.
Ms. Pierce has served, since 2014, as a founder and international vice president of the Consortium for Women Leaders in Public Service, with a chapter still operating in Peru. Her commitment to community service extends to her role since 2002 as a member and former board member of The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. In addition to public service, Ms. Pierce was interviewed for the podcast “Cultivating Careers” in 2019 and is frequently secured as a keynote speaker and presenter. Her presentations at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and other local organizations reflect her passion for art crime investigation, a field she pursued after retirement.
Ms. Pierce’s dedication to law enforcement and public service has been recognized with a litany of awards. In 2005, she received the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive in the Senior Executive Service of the FBI. Her memberships include chairing the Minnesota-Dakotas chapter of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI since 2008 and serving as the North Central regional vice president from 2012 to 2014.
Ms. Pierce has expressed a desire to document her experiences with the FBI into a memoir someday. She stays active giving presentations and working in her gardens. Ms. Pierce’s remarkable journey, from being a schoolteacher and waitress to a trailblazing FBI executive, exemplifies her resilience, dedication, and commitment to law enforcement and justice. Her legacy continues to inspire and influence the fields of law enforcement and public service.