Debra (Debbie) Jean Blake, journalist and editor, a native of Iowa, attended the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Her majors were TV-Radio and Speech and her minor was Journalism. She graduated in 1977. While a student at the University of Northern Iowa, Blake worked as journalist and editor for the Northern Iowan, the university newspaper.

After she received her Bachelor of Arts degree, she started working for professional Iowa television and radio stations, KWWL TV and -Radio and KWLO/KFMW Radio. She worked as newscaster and reporter and in the traffic and continuity department. Blake also worked as editor and journalist for several magazines, including the Salute, a magazine for business and professional women in Northeastern Iowa; Northern Iowa Today, the Alumni Tabloid of UNI; and the Nonpareil, the alumni magazine of the UNI. She published in several other magazines.

From 1983 to 1988, Blake was employed as an assistant publications administrator at the Office of Public Relations at the University of Northern Iowa. During this time, she was engaged in several organizational commitees. She was the director of publicity for the board of directors of the Sturgis Falls Celebrations in Cedar Falls in 1985-1986. In 1987 she facilitated several workshops at the Leadership for Tomorrow conference organized by the University of Northern Iowa. Blake later attended graduate school at the University of Iowa, receiving a Ph.D in English in 1997.