Education
Born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Gordon attended Salesianum School, a private Catholic men"s high school operated by the Oblates of Saint Francis de Sales.
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Thomas Gordon
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Prior to serving two terms as, Gordon was the Chief of Police for New Castle County. Gordon was sworn in on November 13, 2012, making him the first ever three-term County Executive in New Castle County history. He received both his bachelor"s and master"s degrees from Wilmington University.
He is a graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy as well as the United States Secret Service Protection Program.
Gordon began his career in the public sector upon joining the New Castle County Police Department in 1975. As a police officer he was assigned to the Patrol Division Criminal Unit, as well as the Attorney General"s White Collar Crime Unit.
Gordon was promoted to Sergeant in 1980, Lieutenant in 1984, and Captain in 1988. Gordon was Company-commander of Delaware"s first serial killer task force which led to the apprehension and prosecution of Steven Brian Pennell, the state"s first and only known serial killer.
Gordon worked closely with then Senator Joseph Biden in the creation and writing of the landmark United States. Crime Bill which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Acting was the largest of its kind in United States history and widely regarded as the most successful. Since implementation, violent and property crime in the United States has declined 43% and 37% respectively. Gordon was elected in 1996 and sworn in on January 7, 1997, as, where he served two terms.
During his tenure, New Castle County staged a drastic turnaround in its finances.
At the time Gordon took office, the County was facing a $100 million projected cumulative shortfall within four years. Gordon launched the first comprehensive County Reinvention Initiative in 1997.
In 2000, Gordon had eliminated the projected shortfall and had created a $100 million surplus. The county was awarded the highest Bond Rating (American Automobile Association) by all three Wall Street Bond Rating agencies.
Gordon is also credited as being the only two-term County Executive who did not raise property taxes and sewer user rates for eight years while producing the largest financial reserves in the history of New Castle County government.
