Joseph Clancy has been appointed to be the Director of the Secret Service starting October 1st following the resignation of Julia Piarson.
"He is not a guy that propels himself into the spotlight," said William Strahan, head of human resources at Comcast.
Clancy is the new interim director of the Secret Service and a Havertown native. He is described by family, friends and former coworkers as caring, quiet, humble, immensely qualified, and cool under pressure, he is the guy that rides SEPTA to work, enjoys a good football game and makes you feel as if you are the only one who matters when he talks to you. So what is this guys vice?
"Does ice cream count?" asked Kevin Clancy, Joseph's brother. "His is not really an exciting guy, he's the kind of guy you can trust."
Joseph Clancy, is a father of four children, and spent 25 years as a special agent for the Secret Service. He served in posts in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC where he was chief of President Obama's protective detail. He also served on the protective details for Presidents George W. Bush, who called him "Big Joe", and Bill Clinton. Clancy who is 58 was the executive director of Comcast Cable Security until he was called upon to lead the beleaguered agency after Julia Pierson resigned.
Working at the agency was Clancy's dream job, one that took him five tries to finally achieve. The sons of Irish Catholic parents, the four Clancy brothers grew up in Havertown, where Joe was the second of four boys. Their father Patrick, 89, who still lives there was an accountant. Their dear mother passed away in 2002.
Clancy spent two years at West Point before transferring to Villanova where he majored in Political Science and minored in Criminal Justice.
"Joe is probably one of the most qualified agents I have ever worked with," said former Special Agent Dennis Letts, "Clancy's New York assignment and his position on the presidential protective detail were two of the most demanding and stressful jobs in the agency."
On Wednesday about twenty high school friends gathered for an informal reunion. As the men came in they could not contain their excitement over one of their own being chosen as interim director of the Secret Service. To their surprise Clancy showed up.
"Look, I said I would be here, so I'm here," said Clancy.
That's the kind of guy he is.
