Bio - Heffernan_Joel

Joel Heffernan is the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U. S. Secret Service, Chicago Field Office.

Mr. Heffernan is responsible for all protective operations within the Chicago Field Office district, which includes Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as portions of Indiana and Iowa. He was promoted to his current assignment in 2023.

Mr. Heffernan’s career in the Secret Service dates back to 2003, when he was appointed as a Special Agent after serving as a Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. His first Secret Service assignment was in the Chicago Field Office.

In 2011, Mr. Heffernan was reassigned to the Dignity Protective Division (DPD) in Washington D.C and served on the Secretary of Homeland Security Detail. In 2012, he was assigned to the Presidential Protective Division (PPD) where he held numerous leadership positions.

Mr. Heffernan was assigned to Secret Service Headquarters, Office of Protective Operations (OPO) for staffing and logistics in 2018. During this assignment, he assisted in overseeing all staffing requirements for all USSS protectees to include former Presidents and visiting Heads of State. That same year, he was promoted to the Presidential Protective Division (PPD) where he oversaw the Transportation section.

In 2020, Mr. Heffernan was reassigned to the Chicago Field Office and oversaw the Cyber Fraud Task Force and the Protective Operations squad.

Before his Secret Service career, Mr. Heffernan served as an Infantry Officer at 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Mr. Heffernan is a graduate of St. Ambrose University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. In addition, he has a Master of Arts Degree in Defense and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He is married to Amy Looney Heffernan, President of the Travis Manion Foundation, and they have two children.