Name Terrance Gainer Role Law enforcement officer | Education Benedictine College | |
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Born August 1, 1947 (age 76) ( 1947-08-01 ) Evergreen Park, Illinois Department Chicago Police Department
Illinois State Police
United States Capitol Police Years of service Chicago Police Department: 1968–1987
Illinois State Police: 1987, 1991–1998
United States Capitol Police: 2002–2006 Rank Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate | ||
Terrance William Gainer (born August 1, 1947) is a former law enforcement officer and was the 38th Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate and served in that position from January 4, 2007 to May 2, 2014.
Before Gainer continued his law enforcement career in Washington, D.C., he was the Republican candidate for Cook County State's Attorney in 1988, losing to then incumbent Richard M. Daley.
Life and career
Born in 1947 in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Gainer graduated from St. Benedict's College (now Benedictine College) in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and he went on to obtain a Master of Science in Management and Public Service and Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from DePaul University. Gainer is a decorated veteran who served in the Vietnam War, and he served as a Captain in the United States Navy Reserve until 2000.
During his law enforcement career, Gainer served with the Chicago Police Department as deputy Inspector General of Illinois, deputy director of the Illinois State Police and in the United States Department of Transportation before he was appointed as director of the Illinois State Police in the Cabinet of Governor Jim Edgar in March 1991. Gainer went on to serve as Executive Assistant Police Chief, as second in command of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia under Chief Charles H. Ramsey, beginning in March 1998 and as Chief of the United States Capitol Police from June 2, 2002 to March 3, 2006. In addition, Gainer served as the Director of Emergency Preparedness for The Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington. During his time with the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington, Gainer worked extensively with non-profit organizations (such as hospitals, schools and charities) to help them formulate a coordinated response for emergency preparedness in the Washington, DC metropolitan region.
On November 14, 2006, Gainer was appointed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) as the Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. Senate beginning with the 110th United States Congress.
In March, 2014, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that Gainer planned on retiring as Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, and would be replaced by Senate Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms Drew Willison. Willison was made the new Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate on May 5, 2014.