Kimberly Cheatle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Cheatle
Official portrait, 2018
27th Director of the United States Secret Service
In office September 17, 2022 – July 23, 2024
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	James M. Murray
Succeeded by	Ronald L. Rowe Jr. (acting)
Personal details
Born	1970/1971 (age 53–54) Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Eastern Illinois University (BA)
Awards	Presidential Rank Award (2021)

Kimberly A. Cheatle was an important American law enforcement officer. She used to be the director of the United States Secret Service, which is a special agency that protects the President and other important leaders. She worked for the Secret Service for many years before becoming its director in 2022. She was the second woman to lead this agency. She resigned from her role in July 2024.

About Kim Cheatle

Kimberly Cheatle was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, and grew up in Danville, Illinois. She studied sociology and criminal justice at Eastern Illinois University. This helped her prepare for a career in law enforcement.

Her Work at the Secret Service

Kimberly Cheatle joined the United States Secret Service in 1995. The Secret Service is a federal agency that protects the President, Vice President, and their families. They also protect other important people and investigate financial crimes.

During her time there, she had many important jobs. She helped keep Vice President Dick Cheney safe during the September 11 attacks. She also worked on President Joe Biden's security team when he was Vice President. Later, she became a special agent in charge in Michigan. She was also the first woman to lead the Protective Operations unit. This unit is in charge of protecting the President and other important people.

From 2019 to 2022, Cheatle worked for PepsiCo, a large company, as a senior director of global security.

In 2021, President Joe Biden gave her a special award called the Presidential Rank Award. This award is for excellent performance by government leaders. In August 2022, President Biden chose her to be the director of the Secret Service. She started this job on September 17, 2022. She was the second woman ever to hold this high position.

Challenges and Resignation

In July 2024, there was an incident where a person tried to harm former President Donald Trump at a public event. The Secret Service was in charge of his safety. After this event, many people criticized the Secret Service for not keeping him safe enough.

Kimberly Cheatle had to explain what happened to a group of lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives. During this meeting, many lawmakers from both political parties said she should resign. She said that she would not resign at first. However, she later decided to step down from her role.

On July 23, 2024, Kimberly Cheatle resigned as the director of the Secret Service. She was given her own security team because she received threats after the incident.