Secret Service for the day

Mari A. Schaefer and Michaelle Bond have an article in The Philadelphia Inquirer about the new chief of the Service:

In his sparsely decorated office at Comcast Cable Security, Joseph Clancy (photo, right) kept a few well-placed photos on his desk. But rather than pictures of him with world leaders he had encountered, or the presidents he had served, or the first families, the photos were of his own family. Those who have spent time around him say that the array was quintessential Joseph Clancy.
"He is not a guy who propels himself into the spotlight," said William Strahan, head of human resources at Comcast.
Clancy, the new interim director of the Secret Service and a Havertown, Pennsylvania native, is described by family, friends, and former coworkers as a caring, quiet, humble, immensely qualified, and cool-under-pressure guy who 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 with you.
His worst vice? "Does ice cream count?" asked Kevin Clancy, adding that he shouldn't be talking about his younger brother, who he said "really, really" likes his privacy. "He is not really an exciting guy," said Kevin Clancy. "He's the kind of guy you can trust."
Joseph Clancy, a father of four, spent his 25-year career as a special agent in the Secret Service at posts in New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, 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, 58, who was executive director of Comcast Cable Security, was asked to step in to lead the beleaguered agency after Julia Pierson resigned, following disclosures that a knife-carrying fence-jumper had ran into an unlocked door at the White House and that an armed felon had ridden on an elevator with the president.
Working at the agency was Clancy's dream job, one that took him five tries to achieve, as he told students five years ago at a career day at his alma mater, Archbishop Carroll High School, said Frank Fox, the school president. Clancy's message to them: persevere.
The sons of Irish Catholic parents, the four Clancy brothers grew up in Havertown, where Joe was the second of four boys, followed by Michael and Dan. Their father, Patrick, 89, who still lives there, was an accountant. Their mother died in 2002.
"I'm sure my parents would say he was the least trouble," said Kevin Clancy, head football coach for Strath Haven High School. Family members were thrilled when Joseph Clancy and his wife Andrea moved to Newtown Square after he retired, temporarily, as it turned out, from the Secret Service.
Joseph occasionally goes to Strath Haven games and has been "generous enough not to be too critical," joked Kevin. His brother loves to run, bike, and read, particularly historical novels, said Kevin, who gave him When Saturday Mattered Most, the story of the 1958 undefeated Army football team, as a gift.
Joseph attended St. Denis Parish School, where he was an altar boy and served on the safety patrol.
Joe McNichol, the former head football coach at the Radnor Township-based school, recalls Clancy as "an outstanding athlete and an outstanding person".
Clancy, an offensive end and defensive back, was captain of the football team and named All-Catholic his junior and senior years. He was respected by teammates for his work ethic. He also was an outfielder on the baseball team.
He trained year round. At practices, he would consistently finish first in wind sprints and other drills, McNichol said.
Clancy spent two years at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York before transferring to Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1978 with a major in political science and a minor in criminal justice.
Villanova professor emeritus Robert Langran had Clancy as a senior in two of his classes. "We are obviously very proud of him," Langran said.
He said Clancy excelled in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which covered First Amendment cases, including those involving free speech, press rights, and the rights of the accused, Langran said.
Clancy spent a year teaching modern European history and American government at Father Judge High School in 1983 before leaving to join the Secret Service.
"Joe is probably one of the most qualified agents I have ever worked with," said former Special Agent Dennis Letts, now vice president of security for the Avis Budget Group. Letts said Clancy's New York City assignment and his position on the presidential-protective detail were two of the most demanding and stressful jobs in the agency.
"Joe did it with skill and great talent," he said. Letts hopes Clancy will be considered as a permanent replacement for the director's position.
Clancy joined Comcast in 2011 and in May of 2014 became executive director of Comcast Cable Security, where he oversaw hundreds of call centers, warehouses, and technology facilities.
At Comcast, in addition to his photos, his office decor was confined to a white board listing the status of various investigations and activities.
When he participated in Comcast Cares Day, a companywide service day, he donated blood. "Joe is a person who, maybe it is the nature of his profession, he keeps a low profile," said Strahan.
Recently about twenty high school friends gathered at the Glenmorgan Bar & Grill at the Radnor Hotel for an informal reunion. As the men trickled in, they couldn't contain their excitement that one of their own had been named interim director of the Secret Service earlier that day. Then, to their surprise, Clancy showed up. "He said, 'Look, I said I would be here, so I'm here,' " said Dick Costa, who went to grade school and high school with Clancy. "That's the kind of guy he is."

Rico says the guy is, apparently, no relation to Tom Clancy...