Mayor Dan Heckler was born in Buffalo, New York and served in the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1988 retiring at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant (E-9). Mayor Heckler is a decorated Viet Nam War Veteran who served in the Medical Service Corp. for over 23 years. Following his retirement from the Air Force, Dan worked in the private sector for 8 years. Mayor Heckler earned an Associate's Degree in Nursing and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Education from Wayland Baptist University, Plainview, Texas.
Dan and his wife, Lynn and her mother, Eleanor Duffany-McLeod, moved from Germany to Boerne in 1999 and settled into their 'retirement home' on the Cibolo Creek. Mayor Heckler has one son, Steve, who lives in Nashville, TN with his wife and 2 children. Dan’s hobbies include playing racquetball, playing bridge, reading, riding his bicycle around town, and traveling.
Mayor Heckler is an American Cancer Society volunteer who drives cancer patients into San Antonio, TX for cancer treatment and doctor’s appointments. Dan is also a member of the following area associations: VFW Post 866, Kendall County Republican Club, the Cibolo Arts Council and the Kendall County Fair Association. He is a founding board member of the Kendall County Economic Development Corporation. Previously, Dan served on the Kendall County Appraisal District Board of Directors and the Boerne Community Theater Board of Governors. He also served on the church council at First Baptist Church from 2006-2009.
Dan was elected to the Boerne City Council in 2003 and re-elected in 2005. In 2006 Dan was elected as the Mayor Pro-Tem and then elected as the Mayor of Boerne in May 2007 and re-elected in May 2009. Mayor Heckler was elected to the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) Board of Directors in June 2008 and serves on its Planning and Program Committee and Community Affairs Committee.