She served as the 42nd Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the United States Navy.

[4] Prior to that, she served as Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy (DJAG) from August 2009 to July 2012.

She attended Camden Catholic High School and graduated magna cum laude from Villanova University in 1983.

She was commissioned through the JAG Corps Student Program and, in 1986, graduated from the Temple University School of Law.

DeRenzi began her career as a litigator, first as a defense counsel and later as a trial counsel (prosecution) in Newport, Rhode Island, followed by assignments in appellate defense and civil litigation in Washington, DC.