Debby Tucker is Executive Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Debby has been dedicated to ending violence against women since becoming a volunteer with the first rape crisis center in Texas in 1973. She became the Assistant Director of the Austin Rape Crisis Center, and then served as Executive Director of the Austin Center for Battered Women from 1977 until 1982. (The two agencies combined and became known as SafePlace Survival Center in 1997.)

In 1982, she became the first Executive Director of the Texas Council on Family Violence, a position she held until 1996. As Executive Director, she assisted communities throughout Texas in establishing shelters and other services for battered women, initiated batterer's intervention programs and represented battered women and advocacy agencies before the Texas Legislature. In this role, she promoted laws and policies to improve the criminal justice and health and human service systems’ responses to domestic violence. Under her leadership, the Texas Council grew to be one of the largest state coalitions in the country with over 50 staff providing training and technical assistance, public education and advocacy. The Texas Council started the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE and 1-800-787-3224 TTY), a valuable 24/7 service for all U.S. states and territories.

In August 1996, Debby joined Sarah M. Buel, JD, in opening Tucker, Buel and Associates, a consulting firm offering customized consultation and training to end violence against women. In this capacity, Debby drew upon her experiences and knowledge to assist a wide variety of professional and advocacy groups in combating violence against women.

In May 1998, Sarah and Debby co-founded the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence to sponsor national conferences and provide customized training and consultation nationwide. The National Center received funding from the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) of the U.S. Department of Justice to collaborate on trainings with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, the National Sheriffs' Association and the National Center for Rural Law Enforcement. These trainings educate law enforcement officers nationwide on their response to domestic violence and sexual assault. The National Center has an award-winning web site supported by Altria that provides direct access to information for local, state and national professionals and volunteers. The National Center is collaborating with Avon to produce educational materials for the general public to better understand domestic violence and works with many to address violence in the military community.

Debby has extensive experience on the national level. She served as Co-Chair of the U.S. Department of Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence from 2000-2003. She served as founding Chair of the National Network to End Domestic Violence during the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994. She is also a member of the State Farm Insurance Initiated Corporate Alliance to End Domestic Violence, the Board of Advisors for WomensLaw.org and the Board of Texans Against Gun Violence.

She received the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s Standing in the Light of Justice Award and Marshall's Domestic Violence Peace Prize in recognition of her national leadership. She has also been honored by the National Association of Social Workers. Debby received the YWCA's Outstanding Achievement Award and the Texas Council on Family Violence established the Deborah D. Tucker Staff Achievement Award, of which she was the first recipient. In addition, the National College of District Attorneys honored her with their Stephen L. Von Riesen Lecturer of Merit Award.