Donna Brown began her twenty- six-year career in law enforcement when women were still relatively new to the profession. Like most new police officers, Donna began her career working the streets answering calls for service. She then started training new recruits and turned that passion into teaching department wide, at the academy, and to community groups. When she was promoted to sergeant, she remained on the streets and continued training new recruits. Career progression moved Donna to the Criminal Investigation Division where she spent fifteen years, ten years supervising the Homicide Unit. Donna received the Tallahassee Police Department'saward for bravery and the inaugural Commander and Chief's Award for Excellence, which at that time was the department's award for Officer of the Year. She was also recognized for her part with the Tallahassee Police Department's team that responded to South Florida days after Hurricane Andrew devastated that area. Donna knows that there is so much more behind the badge that people don't realize or understand. She had spent much of her career speaking to citizen groups in hope of educating and broadening minds about law enforcement. She grew up in Titusville, Florida, when the space industry was flourishing. Return trips are not as frequent as she'd like, but it's a place that she will always consider home. After graduating from Astronaut High School, she moved to Tallahassee, Florida, obtaining her bachelor of science degree from Florida State University in 1979. She's a proud Seminole! Donna is married, and together, they enjoy spending time with their four-legged fur babies, friends, and family, as well as playing golf.
