Brenda L. Heck Named Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III named Brenda L. Heck special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division. Ms. Heck most recently served as deputy assistant director in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters and has more than 22 years of service to the FBI.

Prior to her career with the FBI, she was a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service from 1985-88. In 1988, Ms. Heck completed new agent training at the FBI Academy and began her career at the New York Field Office.

While in the New York Field Office, she spent 14 years working extensively on investigations involving fugitives, crimes against children, and civil rights. She was a member of the New York Field Office Scuba Team and was awarded the medal of merit.

In 2002, Ms. Heck was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Criminal Investigative Division, Violent Crimes/Major Offenders Section, at FBI Headquarters for her leadership ability. After working in the Criminal Investigative Division, she transferred to the Counterterrorism Division and served as a supervisory special agent, unit chief, and assistant section chief of the International Terrorism Operations Section.

Ms. Heck completed the Leadership in Counterterrorism program in 2006, a program sponsored by the Australian Federal Police in conjunction with the FBI. In October 2009, she received the Director’s Award for Excellence in intelligence analysis for her work on the Strategic Execution Team initiative, a two-year project to realign FBI intelligence functions.

Ms. Heck graduated from James Madison University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. Additionally, she earned a Master of Arts in homeland security and defense studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.