Donna Pence was the first female agent hired by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in 1976. For two years prior to her Bureau employment she was a patrol officer for the Metro Nashville Park Police. She is a graduate of Belmont University with a B. S. in Criminal Justice.

During her 25 years with the Bureau, her assignments included undercover agent, homicide, sex crimes investigations, and child abuse investigations. She supervised the TBI's Drug Enforcement Unit and the Training and Recruitment Unit. Since 1985, she has lectured at state, national, and international levels on the investigation of child maltreatment and child death.

She is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates, a former board member of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and co-chair of APSAC's task force on the guidelines on investigative interviewing of child victims. She has authored, co-authored or contributed chapters in numerous publications on child abuse investigations. This includes a book, TEAM INVESTIGATION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: THE UNEASY ALLIANCE with Charles Wilson.

In January 2002, Ms. Pence joined the Public Child Welfare Training Academy. She continues to train on issues relating to multidisciplinary teams, issues related to the identification and investigation of child maltreatment, neglect, and child fatalities. She is a member of the San Diego County Child Fatality Committee, the San Diego Child Abuse Prevention Committee, and the United Way Child Abuse and Neglect Vision Council. She continues to act as a consultant on MDT's and individual cases.

Donna is married to Charles Wilson, MSSW, Executive Director for The Chadwick Center for Children and Families, Rady Children's Hospital, and between them they have three daughters (one still at home) and two granddaughters. Two golden retrievers and a mini-Shetland sheepdog also share their living space. She enjoys history, collecting 19th century books and photography, reading and needlepoint, and has recently taken up quilting. She and Charles race autocross occasionally. She is completing a book on interpersonal boundary issues on multidisciplinary teams.