While Chief Faulkner has been a member of the Franklin Police Department for over three years, she has a vast law enforcement career.
Deb was a member of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and came up through the ranks. She was one of the first female officers to work in the Patrol Division–she was assigned to the East Patrol Station. During her tenure at the MNPD she went up the chain of command ultimately becoming the first female Deputy Chief of Police.
Next, she went to work for the State of Tennessee as the first Inspector General of the Office of Inspector General. The mission of the OIG is to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who commit TennCare fraud.
She has her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Memphis; her masters in Criminal Justice from Middle Tennessee State University; and, her doctorate in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University.
She is a graduate of Leadership Nashville, Leadership Middle Tennessee, and Leadership Franklin. She is a FBI National Academy graduate and is a past president of the Tennessee Chapter of the FBI National Academy Associates.
She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Trevecca University, Cumberland University, and Tennessee State University where she has taught classes in Sociology, Criminal Deviancy, and Management of Law Enforcement Agencies.
Community service has always been a top priority with her. In the past, she has served as Board Chair for Fifty Forward, the YWCA, and the Susan G. Komen-Nashville Affiliate. She has also served on the boards of Goodwill, You Have the Power, Girl Scouts, and Catholic Charities. She is a member of the Franklin Rotary Breakfast Club.
Deb is the recipient of the Athena Award and was inducted into the YW’s Academy for Women of Achievement. She received the Girl Scout’s Volunteer Award, and CABLE’s Spirit of Leadership Award and the Molly Todd Cup.