Exchange Club of Tuscaloosa hosts former Secret Service member

Protecting the U.S. president is a tough job. On Thursday, a former Secret Service agent was invited to share his experiences with members of the Exchange Club of Tuscaloosa. Glen Elsberry worked with the Secret Service for eight years. 

Elsberry was a member of the Technical Security Division. He was assigned to the White House and the Dallas field office where he was the lead for President George H.W. Bush’s Ranch in Crawford, Texas. In his time with the Secret Service, he was trained in federal law enforcement, chemical/biological and radiological hazards, explosive devices, fire/life safety and physical security. 

During his time with the agency, Elsberry said he worked 260 days out of the year protecting presidents George H. Bush and Bill Clinton. 

He spoke about a difficult day in our nation’s history when he and his staff helped get Vice President Dick Chaney to safety on 9/11. 

“The reality kind of set in when the big steel door closed,” said Elsberry. “I am on the outside. And then as we are continuing to get updates from the tower about the other flights in the air and trying to evacuate the white house and then hearing the planes that hit the Pentagon.” 

Elsberry said he traveled to 57 countries and 46 states while working with the Secret Service.  He now is the Director of Security and Regulatory Compliance at Hunt Refining Company.