About Our Detective Agency's History

At Snelling, we have years of covert, fraud, legal and background investigation. Our agency was formed in California in 1987.  In 1993, it was moved to the Pacific Northwest, arming 15 years of licensed experience.

Today we are Snelling Private Investigators & Background Services, a full-service firm with 40 years of private investigation results. Our principal private investigators have combined 60 investigation years and we are licensed in Oregon, Washington and California.

You can be assured that we aren't a typical full-service private investigative firm. We personally have involved in thousands of private investigation cases for hundreds of clients.

Our Principal Investigators

Donna Snelling is our founder and director. She has performed and managed private investigations since 1978 — from high profile and complex cases to internal fraud and high liability cases.​ She is one of the first of the licensed female private investigators and surveillance specialists in the U.S.  She is licensed in Oregon, Washington and California.

​Donna is highly skilled in private investigation and case management. She is a career, results-oriented private investigator who knows the most successful strategies and applies them.

​Prior, Donna was a fraud, surveillance and legal investigator, manager and director at leading corporate, workers comp and fraud investigative services in southern and northern California for 15 years. Her partnership secured California's first fraud workers comp "take nothing" reward. She has been a private investigation college instructor and considered an expert witness in federal court.

Donna graduated from Sunset High School in Portland and attended Pacific University in Oregon.

Learn more at Donna Snelling's LinkedIn profile.
Kevin Garrett joined Snelling in 2007 and he is our operations manager and a director. Moreover, he is a skilled field investigator and manager who has involved in hundreds of cases — from sensitive surveillance operations to corporate and family law investigation. He has over 20 years of private, legal, business and background investigation. He is licensed in Oregon and Washington.

​Kevin has extensive experience of obtaining evidence efficiently and achieving positive outcomes for clients. He excels from private and background to corporate investigation and case management. 

Prior, Kevin was the field director at Infotek Research, a major business research firm in Portland, Oregon, where he directed national and international business projects and managed 30 interviewers for 10 years. He also have 10 years' experience as a personnel and business manager in diverse industries —  from the construction business to specialty sports.​
​
Kevin holds a B.S. from the W.C. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University.

Professional Licensing
California Private Investigator License PI 12426
Washington Private Investigation Agency License 1720
Donna Snelling: Oregon License 33813; Kevin Garrett: Oregon License 60010