The Heart That Doesn’t Quit — Joel E. Gordon’s Story

By: Daniel Del Valle for the BLUE Magazine Team

Inside every great publication there is a quiet constant — someone who carries the mission through good times and hard ones. For The Blue Magazine, that person is Joel E. Gordon.

A former Baltimore City police officer who began his career in 1980, Gordon has lived the kind of life that defines endurance. From the streets of Baltimore to the mountains of West Virginia as a chief of police, from patrol cars to the editor’s chair, he has worn more hats than most could manage in a lifetime — officer, instructor, chief, mentor, writer, and now editor-in-chief of The Blue Magazine.

His path was never easy. Decades of service brought him heart attacks, surgeries, diabetes, and, most recently, the amputation of his left leg. Yet even from a hospital bed — while fighting through pain most would find unbearable — Joel was still editing stories, mentoring writers, and planning the next issue. When others might have asked for rest, he was asking about deadlines.

What defines him isn’t only endurance but perspective. He jokes on phone calls about the “new model” leg and laughs through discomfort that would silence others. That optimism isn’t a show — it’s who he is. It’s the same spirit that’s carried The Blue Magazine through its toughest chapters.

Over the years, Joel has been an essential force behind The Blue Magazine’s most defining work — including the landmark interview with Border Czar Tom Homan and The Blue Magazine’s exclusive interview with President Donald J. Trump. As both journalist and editor-in-chief, his steady hand and instinct for truth align seamlessly with The Blue Magazine’s mission — strengthening the voice, credibility, and integrity that have defined the publication for more than sixteen years.

In 2025, Joel E. Gordon was named to Marquis Who’s Who in America for his decades of dedication and contribution to law enforcement and journalism. He is also a past recipient of The Blue Magazine’s Senior Journalist of the Year Award (2017) and the 2022 Award for Excellence in National Law Enforcement Leadership.

Ask anyone who’s worked with him and they’ll tell you the same thing: Joel E. Gordon doesn’t just lead the newsroom — he lifts it. He reminds every contributor, from new recruits to senior editors, why The Blue Magazine matters: because it stands for truth, service, and heart.

And now, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to law enforcement, journalism, and the mission of The Blue Magazine, Joel E. Gordon will receive the 2025 Blue Magazine Lifetime Service Award — a tribute to a man whose courage continues to define the standard of dedication we strive to uphold.

The heart that doesn’t quit.