A lifelong writer, Deb spent the early part of her professional life as a management consultant, leading teams implementing technological and organizational change efforts, while also pursuing a freelance writing career. After several years in consulting, Deb was recruited by a former client to serve as the operations director of a technology start-up. Chronicling the ups and downs of her dot-com life in a nationally recognized series of articles, Debra made the switch to full-time work as a journalist in October 2000.

Less than two years after joining the staff of the Chicago Sun-Times, Deb was writing weekly columns for the paper’s coveted Page 2 column (former home of the legendary Mike Royko). Her work included award-winning coverage of legal and public policy issues, including the re-investigation of decades-old civil rights-era cases. Deb’s journalism career also included launching the Sun Times’ first blog and contributing to television news coverage at CNN, WBBM and WTTW.