Executive Security Specialists, INC.

 LEADERSHIP

Thomas C. Harwood

Chief Executive Officer

Thomas C. Harwood is the Chief Executive Officer of Executive Security Specialists. He oversees all aspects of operations for the company. He is one of the original founders of the company and was assigned as the agency’s Director of Operations in February of 1996 when the company first formed. Thomas has been the Chief Executive Officer since acquiring sole ownership of the company in February of 2004. 

He has been active in both Governmental Law Enforcement and Private Security since the age of 19.  

In the governmental side, he has over 17 years of experience as an auxiliary officer, telecommunicator, sworn patrol officer, patrol supervisor, communications unit director, traffic enforcement unit director, detective, detective supervisor, and tactical unit officer. 

Thomas was the 1997 recipient of the Officer of the Year Award from the International Association of Chiefs Of Police (IACP). The IACP consists of over 20,000 Police Administrators from 93 countries throughout the world. Dignitaries that attended the Awards ceremony included US Attorney General Janet Reno, FBI Director Louis Freeh, DEA Administrator Tom Constantine, the US Secret Service Director, Joseph Brann from the US Department of Justice, and representatives from around the world. 

In March of 1998, Thomas flew to Washington, DC to FOX television headquarters to meet with John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted. Thomas was honored in a segment of the show that re-enacted an incident that occurred in September of 1996 in which a man tried to kill him, but ended up being taken into custody along with four accomplices by him.  

In May of 1998 Thomas was summoned to Washington, DC to be honored in a ceremony held at the White House. In the Oval Office of the White House Thomas met with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, US Attorney General Janet Reno, and Joseph Brann from the US Department of Justice. Following the meeting, a press conference was conducted in the rose garden of the White House.  

Thomas has also been involved with the security and investigative industry since the age of twenty. He later joined the corporate security team of TTC, Inc which maintained over 30,000 employees throughout the 48 continental states. During his tenure at TTC, he was assigned to the investigative unit, the surveillance unit, the executive protection unit, and eventually was promoted to Assistant Director of Corporate Security nationwide. 

Thomas has received training from the Executive Protection Institute, the US Secret Service, the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, & Firearms, the US Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Joint Terrorism Task Force, Research Electronics, Inc., Intelligent Audio Devices Corporation, the Illinois State Police, Illinois Police Officer Standards & Training Board, and a host of other agencies and companies.

Thomas has been involved in security operations for many corporate executives, government officials, celebrities such as the “Twist” king Chubby Checker, Bill Anderson from the Grand Ole Opry, country comedian Jerry Clower, Colonel Oliver North, and was also involved in the security operation for the Navy Blue Angels Flight team during a visit to Illinois. 

He is a member of the Illinois Security Chief’s Association, the American Society of Industrial Security, the Associated Detectives of Illinois, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the World Association of Detectives, the International Bodyguard Association, and the National Association of Investigative Specialists.

As Chief Executive Officer Thomas values ESS clients and believes in giving clients personal attention and is available to all of ESS’s clients around the clock. This hands-on approach is one of the main differences that ESS offers you as compared to dealing with a huge company that simply treats you as a number and an insignificant portion of their business. We know that you have a choice in investigative companies, and our goal is to earn your trust and develop long lasting relationships that mutually benefit ESS and our family of clients. Our clients are the reason we stay in business, and the reason we have remained in business. We never forget that fact.