An American author and producer, born in 1950 in Brooklyn, New York, United States. She worked as co-producer of the Disney Channel Original Movies The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2 and as an executive producer for The Cheetah Girls: One World. She studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology and also graduated in 1986 with a degree in Cultural Studies from Empire State College (Metropolitan Center, New York City). She received awards in recognition of her contributions since 1992 to Essence Magazine. In 1999, she wrote the book series The Cheetah Girls. The books have been adapted into a series of Disney Channel original films, beginning in 2003. She also wrote the Catwalk trilogy; "Catwalk", "Catwalk: Strike a Pose," and "Catwalk: Rip the Runaway." Moreover, Deborah wrote the alternative-comedy one-woman show "Working Girlz," which premiered in 1996 at the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the award for Best Comedy in 2001.