Association of Local Government Auditors

     The City of Orlando, Florida recently announced the appointment of George McGowan as Director of Audit Services.  McGowan recently served as Director of Accounting and Operations for the University of Central Florida Alumni Association and had previously served for ten years in several audit positions for the City of Orlando.

     McGowan is a Certified Public Accountant in Florida, received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Masters of Public Administration from Troy University in Alabama.  He previously served on ALGA's Board of Directors and as President, Past-President, and Treasurer during the past ten years.

King County Auditor's Office welcomes Three New Auditors

     The King County Auditor's Office recently hired three new auditors. 

• Ben Thompson has a Master's in Public Policy and comes from Government Accountability Office (GAO). While there, Thompson worked on projects such as supply chain management, tactical aircraft requirements, personnel and training, and base realignment and closure. He also served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan.
• Laina Poon has a Master's in Public Administration and is a certified Project Management Professional. She has worked as a performance auditor at GAO and worked on projects in the Natural Resources group. Poon served in the Peace Corps in Malawi.
• Justin Anderson has a law degree and has been a project manager and data analyst for King County's facility management division. Prior to this, he worked as an attorney, both for a private firm practicing construction law and for the King County Prosecutor's Office.

Seattle welcomes Drake to the Office of the City Auditor

     The Office of the City Auditor in Seattle, Washington welcomes their new Quantitative Analysis Specialist, Cindy Drake.  Ms. Drake previously worked with the King County Auditor's Office and the Colorado Office of the State Auditor.

Austin's Office of the City Auditor welcomes New Hires and Promotions

     This fall, the Office of the City Auditor in Austin has undergone several positive staff changes.  Several internal candidates were promoted: these included Robert Elizondo as the new Acting Quality Assurance Coordinator, Olga Ovcharenko as an Auditor III, Kathie Harrison and Naomi Marmell as Auditor IIs, and Margot Wilson as an Audit Investigator II.  Several external candidates were hired as well, including:

• Walt Persons, Assistant City Auditor, previously an audit manager at the Texas Department of Assistance and Rehabilitative Services;
• Karl Stephenson, Auditor II, previously an auditor for University of Texas System;
• Clayton Hoskinson, Audit Investigator II, previously an auditor for the Oklahoma Tax Commission; and
• Mathew Cornwall, Auditor I, previously an accountant with the City of St. Louis.