Dennus Bishop, Walther Class of 1996, currently serves as an Executive Special Agent in Charge for the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General – a federal law enforcement agency.  He manages about 75 Federal Law Enforcement Agents and their supervisors in a 13 state region throughout the midwest. The agency’s focus is on fraud, waste, and abuse as it pertains to the USPS. This includes narcotics being shipped through the mail, theft of mail, healthcare fraud by USPS workers, financial fraud, and misconduct allegations.

After graduating from Walther, Dennus received a BA in Psychology from Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL and later completed an MA in Social Work from UIC.  In his professional career he has worked for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois as a Foster Care Licensing Representative, for the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services as a Child Protection Investigator, and as a Special  Agent with the US Secret Service. In 2016 he began his work in the USPS Office of Inspector General and has worked his way up to taking his current position in 2023.

When asked for his career highlights, Dennus shared, “My DCFS work will always be near and dear to my heart. There may be no greater calling than protecting children who can’t protect themselves. That role also laid the foundation for my work in investigations.” Another highlight was becoming a Federal Agent in 2009. “The Secret Service gave me the opportunity to work at the White House protecting the President and travel around the world with foreign dignitaries.”

As Dennus reflects on his time at Walther, three things stand out.  “The dedication of the teachers. I realized this later, but they could have been somewhere else making more money. Instead, they dedicated themselves to the ministry of Walther. That speaks volumes.” Another item that he didn’t realize until later was the importance of faith development. “Walther reaffirmed what was taught at home. It was not uncool to talk about your relationship with the Lord. I know that kept me on the right path.” One other thing that Dennus cherished was the family atmosphere. “It was good to be back at Walther for an Open House last week and hearing that the family atmosphere is still prevalent here.”

Right after graduating from college in 2000, Dennus began coaching basketball at Walther.  He spent two years as the freshman coach and then eleven years as the varsity assistant under three different coaches. “The highlight from those years was the relationships I formed with the team members.”

“Whether it is the life long friendships I formed with classmates while a student at Walther, or the relationships I formed while coaching, there is something special about the bond formed through Walther.”