Eljay Bowron

Eljay Bowron was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. The son of a Detroit Police Officer, Eljay went to Detroit Denby High School and played football there, which resulted in a scholarship to Michigan State University in 1969. When Eljay's college football hopes were sidelined by a series of knee surgeries, he turned his energy toward a career in law enforcement and public service. After graduation from MSU, Eljay became a Detroit Police Officer. He later joined the Secret Service in 1974. For 23 years, Eljay focused his intelligence, judgment, and deep professionalism on implementing, improving, and reforming the critical national missions of the United States Secret Service.

In December of 1993, Eljay was appointed as the 18th Director of the United States Secret Service working for 6 different Presidents during his tenure in the Secret Service. Eljay was also directed by the Secretary of the Treasury to lead a crisis management team that initiated security improvements at the White House complex, including the closing of Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicular traffic to protect it from terrorist attacks.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Secret Service in 1997, Eljay served in senior executive positions at the Social Security Administration, the Government Accounting Office (GAO), and the Department of Interior, where he was appointed Inspector General.

Following his government service, Eljay became the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Vance International, an international security and consulting firm headquartered in northern Virginia, where he remained until 2003. Vance International operated offices in Mexico, Brazil, the UK, and South Africa.

Most recently, Eljay served as the Chief Security Officer for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Health System, an internationally recognized major medical, research, and education center. The Health System is currently comprised of medical and research facilities in Ohio, Florida, Toronto, Canada, and Abu Dhabi, UAE. The main campus is served by a sworn Police Department and includes hospitals, three (3) hotels, a research complex, and a medical school. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Police Department has worked closely with the United States Secret Service and the U.S. State Department during numerous visits by international diplomats and foreign Heads of State. The Cleveland Clinic currently employs over 37,000 individuals.

Eljay has been married to his wife Sandy for over 35 years and has a son named Brandon.