An innovative, pragmatic, and big-picture thinker, Debra can quickly identify critical tasks as well as longer-term strategies. She is a results-oriented professional with private, public, and nonprofit experience, who is at her best when working with a talented, bipartisan team on a shared mission.

As former Chief of Staff to then Rep. Xavier Becerra, Debra’s more than a decade and a half of work on Capitol Hill included supporting the Congressman’s efforts on the Ways and Means Committee, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House Democratic Leadership and the California Delegation. Debra also learned the ins and outs of the nonprofit world at the National Immigration Forum where she advocated for immigration reform, workforce needs, and a path to citizenship. An attorney by trade, Debra bookended her time on Capitol Hill with stints at two federal agencies, serving as Immigration Counsel at the Department of Justice and subsequently as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

Debra has represented clients in the healthcare, tech and B2B manufacturing industries. She is an expert at translating legislative and regulatory developments into layperson’s terms on issues such as international trade, immigration, healthcare, supply chain, and tax.

In addition to the hard work and hustle for Ferox clients that she thrives on, Debra serves on the board of the Women’s Congressional Staff Foundation whose mission is to increase the number, rank and leadership skills of women working for the U.S. Congress. Debra is proud to have received the CHCI Alumni Association Award in 2014 for her commitment to promoting diversity on Capitol Hill and looks for opportunities every day to advance diversity and embrace collaboration across parties and ideologies.

The daughter of an immigrant, Debra’s father was born in Panama, her mother in the Midwest and they met and married in Ecuador. Wanting their children to receive the best education in the world, they moved to the US, and Debra grew up in Ohio. She has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, a law degree from Ohio State, and an LLM with an emphasis on International Trade from Georgetown University Law Center. Debra and her husband live in DC with their two teenage daughters.