Debra is a Staff Engineer in the Engineering Process and Metrics Department and supports Engineering and continuous improvement efforts at General Atomics. She brings the knowledge and experience to effectively develop, implement and maintain a lean implementation approach as well as over 25 years of engineering, manufacturing, continuous improvement, quality assurance, and process implementation leadership to the company’s process and metrics team. She is a Certified AS9100 Lead Auditor, an ISO Lead auditor and CMMI Appraisal Team Member and a former CMMI Lead Appraiser.

Prior to joining General Atomics, Debra was Manager, Quality Management System (QMS) at TrellisWare Technologies. She was also Manager QMS and Sr. SW Quality Engineer at L-3 Linkabit where she successfully led the organization to AS9100C recertification. Debra also served as the L-3 Corporate CMMI Implementation Team Lead, and was a SCAMPI Lead Appraiser for CMMI in association with the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Carnegie Mellon University. Before L-3, Debra held numerous senior positions at BAE Systems including Deputy Director of Process Improvement and Engineering Leadership Development Program Manager. Her work spanned both the US and UK.

Debra has a passion for exposing youth to Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). She serves as the President of the Board of the Elementary Institute of Science (EIS), serves on the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum (SDCDM) Board, served on the Board of the former San Diego Science Alliance and as has volunteered for the past 13 years as Judge for the FIRST Robotics Regional Competition, workshop presenter for the NCNW STEM/STEAM, EYH, Operation STEM Possible, and Sally Ride Science Festivals. She holds a BS in Physics from Southern University, an MBA in Technology Management from University of Phoenix and a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) credential from University of San Diego. Debra is a 2010 Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award recipient and a 2008 SD Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Nominee.