Donna M. Pence was the first female special agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, appointed 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.

Since January 2002, Ms. Pence has been with the Academy for Professional Excellence, a program of San Diego State University Foundation, working with the Southern Region Public Child Welfare Training Academy. She trains and develops training on issues related to the identification and investigation of child maltreatment, neglect, and child death. Currently, Donna serves on the San Diego Child Fatality Review Board and The San Diego Child abuse Prevention Committee.