To the Board of Directors, Staff and Members of the Association of Inspectors General,
Greetings from Jacksonville, Florida
I’m writing as the Association of Inspectors General convenes its Winter 2023 AIG Institute. The biannual AIG Institutes draw huge international interest and this time is no exception. Well over 200 students will attend the AIG Institute this week and participate in great courses and trainings led by top-tier instructors in the government oversight community.
The AIG Institute is also significant for me, personally. My first connection with the AIG occurred 10 years ago this month (years before I became an Inspector General) when I completed the AIG Certified Inspector General® program in Austin, Texas. It’s been my pleasure to return to the AIG Institute twice a year for the last six years as an Instructor. Coming here always renews my commitment to our work and allows me to meet new colleagues as well as visit with the friends I’m so proud to have made in the OIG community.
I started as the AIG’s President on January 1st and I am profoundly honored to serve in the role. For nearly 13 years, I have worked in OIGs and as an Inspector General since 2015. Currently, I’m the Inspector General for the Chicago Board of Education and lead an office of more than 50 investigators, lawyers, analysts and administrative staff. I am grateful to be able to serve the residents of the city where I grew up in a role that I find personally and professionally fulfilling.
My continuing participation in the AIG after becoming a Certified Inspector General® has immeasurably benefited my professional and personal development. Through my involvement with the AIG Illinois Chapter and the AIG Board of Directors, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some of the most honorable and supportive public servants to be found anywhere. It’s for this reason that I am most grateful to be elected by my fellow Board members lead the AIG forward.
I want to congratulate Stephen Street for eight incredible years of leadership as AIG President. One of the many measures of Stephen’s success is the respect and admiration that he has earned from the AIG Board of Directors and the entire AIG community. Among his many other attributes, Stephen was available when the members needed him and he unstintingly advocated for OIGs everywhere to be able to perform the work that the public entrusted to them. I am very happy that Stephen will continue to serve on the Board of Directors and the Government Relations and Outreach Committee. I am honored by the faith that he has shown in me in leading the AIG and I’m proud to call him a friend.
The AIG’s new Board leadership team includes First Vice-President Isabel Cumming, Inspector General – Baltimore City OIG, Second Vice-President Kim Chatelain, Inspector General – Jefferson Parish Government, Louisiana OIG and Third Vice-President Felix Jimenez, Inspector General, Office of the Miami-Dade IG. Working with the AIG staff members, we have been very busy in these first few months making certain that AIG continues to provide unparalleled professional development training for the OIG community, advocate for the mission of inspectors general, seek partnerships to promote the AIG’s mission and discover new opportunities to make critical resources and support available to its members when they need them most.
Many people deserve thanks for the continued success of the AIG Institute including Executive Director Gregory Hill and the AIG. They do fantastic work in coordinating and hosting the Institutes. I’m very very grateful for the work of our Professional Certification Board members and its Chair, John Carey, Inspector General at Palm Beach County. I would also like to thank Glenda Arrington, Maxene Bardwell and Felix for serving as our Institute Course Managers. Thanks to the Instructors who volunteer their valuable time to share their hard-earned expertise for the benefit of the students. And, of course, thanks to all of the participating students for choosing to continue their professional development through the AIG Institute programs.
“If you’ve seen one office of inspector general, then you’ve seen one office of inspector general,” or so goes the maxim that (with alarming accuracy) describes the many different legislative frameworks that the members of AIG community work within. Further, the AIG community is composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are united by an unwavering commitment to transparency in government through fair, robust and independent oversight. That commitment has always been the bedrock principle of the organization and it’s the reason why the AIG is strong today.
I look forward to working with all of you.
Very truly yours,
Will Fletcher, AIG President
