CIGIE Fellows Program

Anthony Patlaba is a Special Agent in the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Anthony is currently serving as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the Allegation Management and Fugitive Enforcement Division (AMFED). He has worked for SSA OIG for 14 years and became an ASAC in 2015. In this role, Anthony oversees a staff of approximately 20 individuals who act as a conduit for the public to report fraud, by way of the OIG Fraud Hotline, the internet, or thru mail/facsimile. Additionally, the AMFED staff reviews criminal warrant information provided by Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to determine which benefit recipients may have relevant warrant information and, as appropriate, refers them to SSA for possible administrative actions. Prior to becoming an ASAC, Anthony served as a Special Agent in the New York Field Division and Head Quarters. In April of 2018, Anthony completed a nine-month detail as the Acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of AMFED. Anthony graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications.

Nhi Stanton is a Program Analyst for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DoD OIG). She has worked as part of the DoD OIG Special Plans and Operations for over 6 years. She conducts assessments and evaluations on various Department programs to include Arlington and Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemeteries, Biological Safety and Security Implementation, European Reassurance Initiative, Organizational Changes to the Past Conflict Personnel Accounting Community, and Efforts to Train, Advise, Assist, and Equip the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Philippines. Before joining the DoD OIG, Ms. Stanton was a Microbiology Research Assistant in Biological Safety Level-2 laboratories at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. She worked on a bioinformatics project for the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Life Sciences Division, Aerosol Technology Branch. She also worked as a Pharmaceutical Technician at Target, Cancer Research Laboratory Technician at the National Institutes of Health, and a Technician for a Breast Cancer Surgeon. Ms. Stanton earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences specializing in Microbiology and a M.S. in Biotechnology specializing in Biosecurity and Biodefense from the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating summa cum laude. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Collegiate Honor Society, Women in Bio, American Society for Microbiology, and American Chemical Society.

Amanda Abraham is a GS13 Auditor in the Audit Division for the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) in Denver Colorado. She has worked as part of the OIG Audit community for over 12 years. For the past 3 years she has worked for the DOJ OIG. In her role as an Auditor, Amanda is responsible for identifying and developing audit proposals, and leading and conducting audits of various programs throughout the Department, including of the Department’s multi-million dollar contracts. Her primary duties include performing research and analysis, providing briefings to Department and Contractor officials on audit findings, and writing reports to provide recommendations to strengthen the Department’s accountability of funds and improve program effectiveness. In addition to her duties as an Auditor, Amanda is also involved in the DOJ OIG’s Strategic Management Groups where she shares and gains knowledge on relevant topics and challenges impacting the Department and works with her peers to evaluate emerging risk areas in order to identify where current and future audit work is needed. She has also contributed to helping the DOJ OIG move forward and modernize by proposing a new executive summary format for reports that is more reader friendly and in line with how several other OIGs format their reports; as result her idea was adopted and implemented across the organization and is now the format used in all DOJ OIG reports. Prior to her tenure at the DOJ OIG, she worked as an Auditor with the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General for 9 years, where she conducted audits that directly impacted the safety and security of the warfighter and resulted in identifying multi-million dollar cost savings to the government. Amanda graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Accounting and currently resides outside Denver, Colorado.

Tori Kaufman is a Senior Auditor at the Farm Credit Administration Office of Inspector General. She has worked at the FCA OIG for four years but has spent nine years in the OIG community. In her current role, Tori reports directly to the Inspector General. Her primary responsibility is independently conducting performance audits and inspections of various Agency programs. As part of her work, Tori briefs the FCA Board and senior officials. Tori is also responsible for preparing required OIG reports. Tori has been a leader in preparing the FCA OIG’s Semi-Annual Reports to Congress, Management Challenges, Performance Reports, and Strategic Plans. Tori participates in internal and external quality assurance reviews to ensure compliance with standards. The FCA OIG uses contracted auditors to complete the Agency’s financial statement audit, and Tori oversees this work. Prior to joining FCA, Tori was an auditor-in-charge at the Department of Energy OIG. In this role, she led complex, time-sensitive audits and special reviews of nationwide programs and projects. Tori is a Certified Public Accountant in Maryland and graduated from Tulane University in four years with a bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s degree in accounting.

Carlos Prieto is a Special Agent with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense. He has worked for the DCIS for 14 years. In this role, Carlos conducts complex criminal investigations involving procurement fraud, public corruption, product substitution, healthcare fraud, and illegal technology transfer. In 2005, Carlos assisted with law enforcement operations during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, LA. In 2010, he deployed to Afghanistan and was assigned as a mentor to the Major Crimes Task Force (MCTF) and received the Afghan Uniformed Police Medal of Honor for his outstanding service and dedication with strengthening the Afghan National sovereignty and bringing security to Afghanistan. In 2011, Carlos deployed to Kuwait and was assigned to the International Contract Corruption Task Force (ICCTF). In 2013, he was promoted as a Program Manager for the Technology Protection Program (TPP) and transferred to DCIS Headquarters. In this role, Carlos managed and reviewed criminal investigations that were in his assigned program area. He analyzed trends and patterns in the TPP arena. He provided guidance to DCIS leadership on major developments, significant problems, and resolutions within the TPP program. He identified issues and areas to which the creation of a policy or procedure would contribute to the increased efficiency and effectiveness of DCIS investigative operations. Lastly, on two separate occasions he individually prepared the semi-annual report (SAR) pertaining to the TPP for the DCIS which was presented to congress. In 2014, Carlos returned to the New Orleans Resident Agency as a Special Agent. Carlos has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Southeastern Louisiana University, a Master's of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master’s of Arts in Criminal Justice from Southern University at New Orleans. Carlos plans to continue his educational development in the spring of 2019 by enrolling in the International Development Doctoral Program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Matthew Hebert currently serves as a GS-14 Senior Records and Information Specialist (Records Manager) in the Management & Planning Division with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. Matt is the DOJ OIG agency expert in Records and Information Management (RIM). In his role as Records Manager, Matt leads the strategic planning and operations of the Records Management program, overseeing all policy, procedures, oversight, and customer service functions. One of Matt's major duties is acting as liaison and SME to external oversight groups and communities of practice, in order to interpret and respond to broad and changing mandates and recordkeeping requirements from NARA and DOJ Office of Records Management Policy, while also keeping abreast of new and emerging industry trends and best practices from peers at other Federal agencies, CIGIE offices, and private industry. Outside of records management, Matt has served as the DOJ OIG Internal Controls Officer and the DOJ OIG Directives Manager, where he collaborates with stakeholders on issuing and revising organization-wide policies and procedures in the Inspector General Manual, the DOJ OIG's repository for policy and guidance. Prior to joining DOJ OIG in 2014, Matt started his federal career as an Electronic Records Archivist with NARA’s Records Accessioning and Processing unit in 2011. He is a graduate of the NARA Archivist Development Program, a selective two-year cross-training and development program with rotational and detail assignments throughout NARA offices. Matt holds several professional certifications including Certified Records Manager (CRM), Certified Archivist (CA), Information Governance Professional (IGP), Certified Knowledge Manager (CKM), and others. For the past 3 years, Matt has served as Co-Chair of the CIGIE Records Administrators Group (CRAG), a community of practice for RIM workers at federal OIGs. He is also an Executive Board Member of the Federal Records and Information Managers Council (FIRM) and the Federal Records Officer Network (FRON). Matt has masters’ degrees in Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Public History from the University of South Carolina, as well as graduate certificates in Preservation and Digital Information Management. He graduated from University of Georgia undergrad with a double major in German and Comparative Literature. Matt applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program to gain the opportunity to broaden both his skills and contacts, and to further develop his leadership capabilities. He hopes that the Fellowship program will allow him to further identify and share best practices between members of the fellowship cohort, and the IG community. Matt has worked hard to build a track record of leadership and collaboration within CIGIE and among other federal professional communities of practice. He knows the value sharing experiences and best practices among peers, and wants to continue to develop and contribute to the mission of CIGIE.

Lauretta Joseph is a Lead Program Analyst for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Inspector General, New York, NY. Ms. Joseph has worked for the EPA OIG for 15 years. She currently works as a project manager within the Office of Audit and Evaluation where she is a part of the Toxics, Chemical Management and Pollution Prevention division. She conducts program evaluations that focus mainly on issues such as pesticide usage, environmental justice, climate change, and sustainability issues. She is also the former chairperson and Black Employee Program manager for the Office of Inspector General Special Emphasis Program Manager Team for 7 years. Ms. Joseph is currently the senior OIG staff person in the OIG- NYC office for EPA-Region 2. Mrs. Joseph is a graduate of Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, graduating magna cum laude. She received her Dual Concentration Master of Public Health degree in Environmental Health and Industrial Hygiene from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her training also includes internships at the Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory in Brookhaven, New York and USEPA Region III Office of Enforcement, Compliance, and Assurance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Joseph also served as a Health Disparities Research Training Program Fellow with the Charles B. Wang Center in Manhattan. She currently serves on two advisory boards. One regarding recommending improvement to the special education system in New York State and the other role involves improving literacy rates among at-risk populations. Along with her husband, Ms. Joseph teaches SAT preparation courses to high school juniors and seniors in Brooklyn and co-chairs the HIV/AIDS ministry at their church. Ms. Joseph with lives her husband, Michael, in Brooklyn, NY, along with their two children, Caleb and Ethan.

James Ludwig currently serves as an Inspector in the Evaluation and Inspections Division for the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG). The Evaluation and Inspections Division conducts evaluations to assess the management and effectiveness of DOJ programs. To support this mission, Jim interviews DOJ officials and staff, reviews policy documents, and conducts quantitative analysis to identify program areas that need improvement. In this role, Jim has worked on complex reviews that are critically important to the mission of the DOJ, including the review of the Drug Enforcement Administration's opioid enforcement efforts and the review of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ use of restrictive housing for inmates with mental illness. In addition to his duties as an Inspector, Jim served as Chair of the DOJ OIG’s Mentoring Program from 2016 to 2018. In this capacity, he oversaw the participation of over 70 staff and held six agency-wide mentoring events, including DOJ OIG’s first ever flash mentoring events which hosted senior officials from numerous OIG agencies. Further, in 2016, Jim was selected by OIG leadership to assist in developing an annual report that identified the most pressing challenges facing DOJ in FY 2017. Prior to joining DOJ, Jim interned with the Office of the Sergeant at Arms for the U.S. House of Representatives. Jim holds a Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security with a Geospatial Intelligence Option from Pennsylvania State University and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State University. Jim applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program because it offers him the opportunity to support the mission of a prominent OIG organization while advancing his professional development interests. Jim is intrigued by the prospect of working with external officials throughout the OIG community and immersing himself in work that can expand his professional competencies. He firmly believes that this experience will benefit him greatly in reaching his career goals of one day becoming part of the Senior Executive Service.

Elva Linares is a Legislative Counsel in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office for the Inspector General (OIG), Office External Affairs. She has worked at DHS-OIG for almost two years. In her current role, Elva monitors and analyzes legislation and develops and maintains ongoing communications with committee staff on matters of interest to the DHS-OIG. She frequently researches and analyzes complex issues important to the DHS-OIG and writes, reviews, and manages a variety of congressional communications. On a daily basis, Elva effectively reports on congressional hearings, markups and briefings and helps develop and implement strategies for presenting information to congressional staff. She works closely with the Acting Inspector General (IG) in preparation for congressional hearings and is the liaison between the IG and Congress. Before joining DHS OIG, Elva worked at the Department of Labor (DOL) as an Associate Counsel/Legislative Officer. During her time at DOL, she was responsible for working with agencies to achieve DOL’s legislative goals and objectives, which included working closely with other federal agencies, Congress, and state and local governments in the development of new rules and regulations.

Jane Bannon has over 28 years of government auditing experience. Jane currently oversees the conduct of the Director for Information Technology (IT) Audits for the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Inspector General (OIG). In this role, she provides leadership to staff that conduct IT security and operation audits. Jane is adept at managing staff that is located around the country; she has managed staff in Washington, DC, Missouri, Louisiana, Georgia, Chicago, and California, including staff that are full time and ad hoc teleworkers. Jane began her career in auditing with the Department of the Interior (DOI), OIG in 1990 after graduating from Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and a minor in Business Administration. She joined USDA, OIG in 1997, serving first as the manager of a major financial statement audit and then in a series of headquarters positions, including the roles of Director of IT and Financial Statement audits, Data Analysis, and her present position, director of IT audits. Jane also managed the conduct of IT and program contract audits, from which stemmed many recommendations. She has worked closely with the investigators, both while at DOI and USDA, providing the Office of Investigations audit assistance in on-going cases and initiating them, as well. She served as a contracting officer’s technical representative (COTR) and presently oversees the work of other COTRs. Jane implores creative audit techniques and produced audit reports based on data analyses using computer assisted audit techniques such as ACL. She also participated in major initiatives in conjunction with several peers in the IG community to revise the OIG Audit peer review process and, within USDA, developed career ladder and succession planning processes. In addition to her audit supervisory duties, Jane served a two-year term managing the outreach activities for a special interest group. Her career has not been void of its challenges; in the personnel arena or the conduct audits. She has had to take action to release, provide reasonable accommodations, and to prescribe and administer employee improvement plans. Conversely, she also recently participated in USDA, OIG’s mentoring program. Her protégé, during the course of our tenure, applied for and received a promotion while transitioning from one GS series to another and from a nonsupervisory position to that of a supervisor. During their 9 months of contiguous meetings, both face to face and via telephone, Jane identified key areas to highlight through the resume drafting process and role playing and conducting mock interviews. Outside of the office, in addition to being a wife and mother of two girls, she serves as president of a nonprofit division that is part of a national organization and she is a member of several other organizations promoting education, culture, and well-being. Jane strives to create and maintain cohesive, bonded teams, also prevalent in her professional environment. She has initiated, organized, and successfully implemented innovative ways of conducting business and run meetings efficiently and effectively, both personally and professionally.

Bakari Baker is currently a Health Scientist within Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General (OIG). He has work for the EPA OIG for 6 years. He serves as a technical expert in environmental health science and provide assistance to Directors, Project Mangers, Team Leaders, individual auditors and program evaluators. Bakari also plans the work to be performed within the general scope of evaluation plans established by OIG strategic, multi-year and annual work plans; develop, review and modify evaluation objectives, work plans, scope, methodology, staff requirements and time frames to ensure evaluation project needs are achieved; and he serves as a OIG representative for meetings and conferences with EPA regional offices, other Federal agencies, state and local governments, Congress, the regulated community and outside interest groups. Bakari has also successfully completed a 6-month job rotation to a different directorate with the EPA OIG in 2016. Bakari has held several leadership and supervisory positions throughout his career prior to working for the federal government. Bakari has supervised/managed several union and non-union workers throughout his career. While working as a Health Scientist in OIG, he has received STAR awards and high praises. Bakari has received an Employee Performance Appraisal of Exceed Fully Successful for the last two fiscal years. He has volunteered his time to be a mentor and helped develop a formal OIG mentoring program. He is the continuing OIG African-American Special Emphasis Program Manager. Bakari graduated with his Bachelors of Science Degree from Clark Atlanta University. He completed his Master in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s School of Public Health (UIC SPH). Bakari is currently a preparing to defend his dissertation at the same school in environmental and occupational health science.

Kristene McMinn is a Senior Supervisory Inspector in the Department of State, Office of the Inspector General. While there, she has conducted or overseen the conduct of inspections, evaluations, and program audits, served as the Coordinator for Thematic Inspections, and also served as the Executive Assistant to the Inspector General. In addition, she served on a Task Force that provided telephone support to Americans when conflict broke out in Lebanon in 2006. Prior to this, she served as an auditor and audit team leader at the Department of Defense, Office of the Inspector General. Kristene’s inspections, evaluations and audits have covered a wide range of functions including contracting, financial management, human resources, personal and real property management and record retention functions. They have also addressed core Department of State and Department of Defense programs including those to administer foreign assistance and identify export opportunities for U.S. companies. Her inspections and audits have taken her to embassies, consulates and military bases in more than 30 countries. Kristene is a member of the Northern Chapter of the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. She has a Master’s of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting.

Adeline Agbedo is a senior auditor with the Department of Energy – Office of Inspector General (DOE-OIG), Germantown Audit Group. As part of the DOE-OIG team, she aims to inspire public confidence in the integrity and security of agency programs by conducting reviews, audits and evaluations that promote the economy and efficiency of DOE and National Nuclear Security Administration’s programs and operations. Her division conducts performance audits of the Department’s corporate level programs and operations and develops risk assessment reports for certain risk areas, including project, contract and procurement management.

Adeline performs audits and evaluations of the Department’s programs and operations in accordance with OIG policies/procedures and auditing standards. Her responsibilities include, ensuring the appropriateness of the data gathered, analytical method employed, reasonableness of audit conclusions and observations; and communicating the audit observations or findings in a concise and clear manner, etc. She is always looking for ways to effect positive change and audits/evaluations of program effectiveness and efficiency is one of the many ways she’s been able to impact agency operations. In addition, living in different continents as a military spouse, has helped hone her ability to work with individuals from all works of life and she has a knack for effectively communicating program goals and gaining consensus that deliver results, no matter the project. Adeline received her B.S in Accounting, with honors, from National University and a MBA from University of Maryland University College. This will be Adeline’s first experience as a Fellow and hopes that the Fellowship will help develop her ability to act as a catalyst for organizational change.

Placement: Social Security Administration OIG

Joseph Aiosa is a Special Agent in the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA/OIG). Joseph began his federal law enforcement career 23 years ago with the U.S. Secret Service and was assigned in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington D.C. For the past 17 years, Joseph has held various positions with SSA/OIG, most recently assigned as the Assistant to the Special Agent-in-Charge in the Cooperative Disability Investigations Division. In this capacity, he oversaw 39 Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) units covering 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. During his tenure, the CDI Program has grown by 11 CDI units and 5 states. In 2017, Joseph received the Assistant Inspector General’s Award and SSA Deputy Commissioner for Operations Award. Joseph received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Baltimore.

Placement: U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

Ronald Anderson is an Audit Manager in the Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Office of Quality Assurance and Professional Responsibility. He has worked for the SSA-OIG for 14 years and became an Audit Manager in June 2015. In this role, Ronald conducts exhaustive functional reviews of OIG offices to ensure compliance with Federal laws and regulations, policies, and relevant professional standards. He also oversees reviews to ensure that the OIG is performing audits, investigations, legal and administrative work in accordance with applicable professional standards. Lastly, Ronald ensures each component has strong employee morale and customer service. He reports directly to the Inspector General and Chief of Staff. Prior to becoming an Audit Manager, Ronald served as a Senior Auditor in the OIG Financial Audit Division. Additionally, in September of 2014, Ronald had the opportunity to serve a 7-month detail in SSA’s Office of Data Exchange and Policy Publications. Prior to joining SSA, Ronald was an Experienced Senior Consultant for Arthur Andersen (later Protiviti Consulting). In this role, he performed process risk evaluations and internal audit activities. Ronald is married with an 11-year-old son, graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in Accounting, and serves as an Assistant Pastor at his church.

Placement: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation OIG

Kristopher Brash Dixon currently serves as a GS-13 Inspector (Program Analyst) in the Evaluation and Inspections Division with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. He is responsible for examining issues throughout the Department of Justice and providing recommendations for needed improvements. His primary duties include representing the Office of the Inspector General during the course of program reviews, qualitative and quantitate analysis, and providing relevant information to management to assist in the decision making process. Based on feedback received from staff, he has worked with management in the Evaluation and Inspections Division to address employee engagement.

Before his tenure at the Office of the Inspector General, Mr. Brash Dixon served as an intern for the Defense Intelligence Agency and the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. He received both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Political Science from Howard University. As a student at Howard University, Mr. Brash Dixon oversaw the operations of a college dormitory housing 200 students and managed 10 professional and student staff members.

Mr. Brash Dixon applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program to gain the opportunity to broaden his skills and further develop his leadership capabilities. He hopes that the Fellowship program will allow him to identify and share best practices between members of the fellowship cohort, and the IG community. He knows that collaborating with members of other OIGs will help in further developing the mission of CIGIE. It will enable him to leverage his knowledge and experience, with the knowledge and experience of others in the cohort in order to further grow in his career.

Mr. Brash Dixon experience has taught him to “Strive for Excellence” in all that he does. He believes his past experience has shown him that with determination and the write tools he can overcome any obstacle. This fellowship will help provide him the tools to further his career and continue to be an asset for an organization.

Placement: Department of Defense OIG

Fara Damelin currently serves as Director, Office of Investigations Legal Division for the National Science Foundation Office of Inspector General (NSF OIG), and has been an Investigative Attorney with NSF OIG since August 2003. In addition to supervising a staff of seven investigative attorneys, she is responsible for investigating allegations of civil, criminal, and administrative wrongdoing related to NSF programs and operations, including theft and misuse of NSF grant funds, and for referring matters to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for civil and criminal prosecution. As part of NSF OIG outreach efforts, Ms. Damelin has provided numerous presentations to grant recipients, professional organizations, and university groups on the IG mission, responsible treatment of federal funds, fraud schemes identified in small business grant programs, and the significant benefits of voluntary compliance programs at recipient institutions. She also serves as an adjunct instructor for the Inspector General Academy, and provides grant fraud training and outreach to the DOJ and IG communities. Prior to joining the NSF OIG staff, Ms. Damelin served for eight years as an employment attorney in the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the General Counsel, representing that agency in discrimination complaints before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and adverse action appeals before the Merit Systems Protection Board. Ms. Damelin received a BA in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton in 1991, and received her JD from the George Washington University National Law Center in 1994. She has been a Certified Fraud Examiner since 2008.

Placement: General Services Administration OIG

Christie Deskiewicz currently serves as a GS 13 Contracting Officer (CO) in the Management and Planning Division for the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In her role as CO, Christie is responsible for providing technical advice and guidance on federal procurement regulations, policies, and procedures, and performs all aspects of contracting transactions for OIG requirements, including developing procurement strategies, preparing solicitation packages, evaluating proposals, negotiating terms and conditions, and managing resulting contracts. In addition to her duties as a CO, Christie is also a representative of the Department of Justice in the Executive Office of Management and Budget’s Acquisition Innovation Council, where representatives from Agencies across the Federal Government discuss new, improved, or underutilized acquisition strategies that may potentially reduce delivery time, lower transaction costs, and increase access to innovative contractors which can better enable federal agencies to carry out their missions.

Christie applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program because she aims to push herself out of her comfort zone and submerge herself in thought-provoking projects. Christie knows that in persistently placing herself in diverse and challenging roles, she will continue to learn unique and valuable lessons which she can apply as she moves forward in her career. Christie also hopes to learn and develop innovative ideas from other CIGIE fellows of different career backgrounds, as well as the experienced leaders that she will have the opportunity to interact with. She feels that this experience will be irreplaceable in her long term goal to become part of the Senior Executive Service.

Christie has a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and I.T. Management, and also just successfully completed her law degree while working full time as a Contracting Officer, often taking lead on, and managing contracts valued over $100 Million. During this time, she also took on multiple legal internships and special projects geared toward creating efficiencies in the federal government’s procurement process. She looks at her experience as an amazing developmental opportunity because it was often challenging, diverse, and mission critical. She believes that the Fellowship will be a great next step as she looks to develop herself further.

Placement: Securities and Exchange Commission OIG

Christine Fagioletti currently serves as a GS-13 Program Analyst as part of the Medical Assessment Division with The Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Special Plans and Operations. Her division works to evaluate healthcare and public health initiatives that serve the warfighter. One responsibility of her role is to serve as the executive officer for project teams. To fulfill this duty she has contributed to project design, coordination of site visits, creation of work papers, program evaluation, data analysis, and development of findings and recommendations. Her achievements in this role include a CIGIE Award for Excellence as part of the DoDSER Data Quality Assessment Team, 2015, and the Deputy Inspector General for Special Plans and Operations, Annual Award for Individual Special Achievement, 2014.

Christine applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program because she wants to gain a broader understanding of impacts the oversight community has across the federal government, and how effective leadership can enable oversight agencies to meet their mission.

Christine says, "I have worked toward my goal of advancing health policy and public health by working to improve the effectiveness of health and healthcare systems. I hope to gain a broader understanding of other areas in the oversight community, and how they use oversight as an agent to improve effectiveness in the federal government through the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program. During the fellowship I hope to develop skills such as how to be an agent for change, hone my business acumen, and learn best practices in leading others in order to prepare me for future leadership opportunities in the oversight community."

Placement: Department of State OIG

Nichole Fleming currently serves as a GS-14-1811, Special Agent of the Investigations Division with the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Washington Field Office. She is responsible for utilizing specialized investigative skills to plan, conduct and document quality, timely investigations that are complete and thorough. Her division serves as the investigative arm of the OIG, responsible for investigating alleged violations of fraud, abuse, and integrity laws that govern DOJ employees, operations, grantees, and contractors. Investigations Division Special Agents develop cases for criminal prosecution, civil, or administrative action. She prepares and edits Reports of Investigation, Memoranda of Investigation, applications for search and seizure warrants, applications for IG subpoenas and Procedural Reform Recommendations. Her primary duties involve conducting interviews; collecting physical, documentary and electronic evidence; conducting research and database queries in support of investigations; executing arrest warrants; and testifying before grand juries and other court proceedings.

Nichole has applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program to further develop her leadership and management skills and to increase her knowledge of the overall federal government.

By interacting with leaders, employees and the missions of other agencies through the CIFP, Nichole believes she will gain a broader understanding of a wider range of methods for leading people, developing coalitions and achieving results. This increased understanding will contribute to her further development in gaining more of a "big picture" perspective. Additionally, it would allow her to share that knowledge and experience with other members of the DOJ/OIG through her increased abilities to be an informal or formal leader or mentor.

Placement: U.S. Agency for International Development OIG

Mark Gray started his career with the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General ten years ago as a Special Agent. During his career at SSA/OIG, Mark served as the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Quality Assurance and Professional Review. Mark was also part of several multi-agency task forces in the Baltimore-Washington area. Currently he serves as a Criminal Investigator in the Washington Field Office and regional instructor for SSA/OIG.

Mark began his federal career as a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF). As a PMF, Mark completed several developmental rotations and attended numerous leadership courses. During his rotational assignments, Mark assisted in analyzing the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, served as a project officer for the construction and security implementation of off-site data back-up centers, and created and reviewed Memorandums of Understanding with federal, state, and local agencies.

Prior to being a federal employee, Mark was a Police Officer in Southeast North Carolina. While he was there, Mark attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington under-graduate and graduate school and earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s in Public Administration.

Placement: Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency

David Huff currently serves as a GS-14 Team Leader on the Nuclear Team in the Intelligence and Special Program Assessments Component of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. David is responsible for leading team efforts to evaluate the Department of Defense, the military Services, and supporting agencies in achieving the national strategy for nuclear weapon employment. The umbrella of coverage provided by David and his team encompasses all Department of Defense nuclear systems, nuclear procedures, nuclear personnel, and nuclear capabilities that make up the Department of Defense nuclear enterprise.

David analyzes the Department of Defense nuclear enterprise and reports on Department of Defense’s ability to sustain an aging deterrent force. David also analyzes Department of Defense efforts to modernize the nuclear weapon delivery systems; early warning of attack, and the command and control systems needed for an effective nuclear deterrent. During the course of his career, he has examined the majority of nuclear weapons systems and the required supporting infrastructure. David’s primary duties involve data collection and analysis, writing, editing, and briefing reports at the senior official level. His work transcends the Department of Defense; his on-going project includes collaboration with the Departments of State and Energy, as well as the intelligence community.

David applied for the CIGIE Interagency Fellowship Program because he wants to broaden his knowledge beyond that of the Department of Defense. David wants to experience work outside of the Department of Defense and experience a different corporate culture first hand. He has a desire to understand organizational financial processes, justifications, and the administration of the budget to achieve organizational goals. David wants the opportunity to see project execution from a more macro level, and the managerial and leadership skills that contribute to success in addition to the actual project execution. David applied to this program to experience firsthand how another government agency functions, achieves goals, and adds value to the oversight community. Finally, many of the topics or programs he has evaluated are programs that required a steep learning curve. He educated himself on the topic, discovered the heart of the problem and made meaningful recommendations. He would like to use his problem solving skills in a different environment to improve his overall leadership capabilities.

David has not had past fellowship experience. He believes this fellowship will help improve his management and leadership skills thus contributing more to the oversight community. David has worked under the rigors of the DoD for over 15 years. He would like to see and experience government oversight from a different perspective. Finally, David would like to apply his experience and contribute to the success of another government agency within the oversight community.

Placement: Department of Homeland Security OIG

Alex Rzasa currently serves in the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and his foremost interest is law enforcement cybersecurity. Earlier in his Federal career, Alex also protected our nation’s Social Security safety net by assisting with the appellate operations of one of the world’s largest public insurance benefits programs. During prior practice as an attorney, he zealously defended the interests of local non-profit organizations and businesses, both by litigating and by helping clients create forward-thinking risk management strategies. In addition to his private sector IT work, Alex has applied his technical and legal knowledge at the Maryland General Assembly, where he assisted lawmakers from both parties by drafting legislation, providing policy research and analysis, and staffing the Joint Technology Oversight Committee as well as the Business, Technology, and Economic Development Workgroup. Alex has received numerous performance awards, including OIG awards for civil monetary penalty enforcement as well as for spearheading a new cybersecurity initiative and investigatory IT solution. He earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, where he was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellow. A past associate editor of the Maryland Law Review, Alex holds a J.D. with Honors from the University of Maryland School of Law and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Placement: Department of Agriculture OIG

Elizabeth Sweetland is an attorney who has worked in the Inspector General community for over 5 years. Her combined service to the military and the civil service spans over 25 years. Her areas of expertise are federal appropriations law, ethics, the Freedom of Information Act, the Federal Tort Claims Act, as well as federal and military criminal law. In 2016, in her capacity as the Assistant Counsel to the Inspector General at the National Science Foundation (NSF), she was awarded the NSF Director’s award for excellence. As an Army Officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, she rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During her military career, she was stationed in Germany, Texas, Saudi Arabia, and at various assignments in the Washington D.C. area. In addition to her extensive experience in the executive branch, she began her legal career working in the judicial branch. She served as a judicial law clerk for one year at the Court of Appeals of Virginia and one year at the Superior Court of Guam. She holds a B.A., with distinction, from the University of Virginia, and a J.D., also from the University of Virginia. During her military career she earned an L.L.M. in military administrative law at the Army Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School.

Placement: Peace Corps OIG