Terry Gainer’s public service career culminated in his unanimous election by U.S. Senators in 2007 to become the 38th Sergeant at Arms. He is the chief law enforcement and executive officer of the Senate with the largest budget and nearly 1,000 employees to manage all facets of Senate operations.

Gainer, a Chicago native who earned a law degree from DePaul University, served in various capacities with the Chicago Police Department before eventually being named Illinois Deputy Inspector General. In 1991, he was named Illinois State Police Director by Gov. Jim Edgar. Gainer became Washington D.C.’s executive assistant police chief in 1998 and was named U.S. Capitol Police Chief in 2002. Gainer is a decorated veteran who served as an advisor in Vietnam and retired as a Captain in the United States Naval Reserve in 2000.