Executive
Jeffrey S. Shapiro, Inspector General
Jeffrey S. Shapiro was appointed the fifth Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on September 2, 2022, an appointment made by the Governor, Attorney General, and Auditor. Inspector General Shapiro was sworn in to a five-year term on October 3, 2022.
With over 30 years of experience in the public sector, IG Shapiro is passionate about making government work better tomorrow than it did today. Applying his knowledge and expertise in public administration, he reorganized the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) into three bureaus to realize his vision of a proactive and engaged OIG that serves as a resource to those who need assistance. He also expanded the OIG’s investigations and audits to hold those with nefarious intent to account. He is focused on leading an office that conducts deliberate, impactful work across its full statutory mandate. He has a balanced approach to fraud prevention which includes expanded training by the OIG Academy, municipal outreach, and unwavering accountability for those who act against the public interest.
IG Shapiro is results oriented. Before completing his second year as IG, he has already made a difference for the Commonwealth and those whom the office serves. He has worked with the Legislature and the Healey Administration to better resource the OIG with significant budget increases in just his first two budgets.
IG Shapiro proactively created a Healthcare Division, a Veterans’ Services Oversight Division, refocused and rebranded the OIG’s training division into the OIG Academy, and added a new mission to follow up on prior audits, reviews, and letters and monitor the post-review performance of agencies, municipalities, suppliers, vendors, and nonprofit entities.
As a collaborative and results-oriented leader, IG Shapiro has introduced the concept that the OIG team should optimally leverage an array of tools to curb improper conduct. A successful investigation does not require a criminal case referral. Some matters are best resolved civilly, while others provide a basis for best practice policy changes or legislative changes. This broadened approach of the OIG deploying a range of tools to fulfill its mission to prevent and detect fraud, waste, and abuse of public resources has already paid dividends. A full range of matters have been resolved using the full complement of tools available – from public letters to best practice bulletins, criminal referrals, and proposed legislative changes – during IG Shapiro’s tenure.
A sample of results include:
- A public letter that called on the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to adopt measures to mitigate the risks of smart technology in new school buildings, following an investigation into the failure of a “smart lighting system” that caused a school’s lights to remain on for 18 months, resulted in improved training for MSBA fund recipients.
- A report on the lack of oversight and enforcement of post-retirement earnings caps of public retirees who return to public service resulted in the Legislature creating a task force, as recommended by the OIG, to examine the issues identified in the report.
- An advisory to public retirement boards on internal banking and offboarding controls resulted from an investigation into a significant loss of funds due to a breach of a former public retirement board employee’s email account.
- An op-editorial on the need to streamline procurement of electric school buses and associated charging infrastructure, following numerous questions to the OIG’s 30B Technical Assistance Hotline, resulted in legislation to consolidate the bus and charging infrastructure procurement processes.
- The OIG introduced a complimentary pilot procurement certification training (the “One Free Designee” program) for the 351 cities and towns of the Commonwealth.
Under his leadership, the OIG has:
- Ensured that former Massachusetts State Police troopers repaid funds for overtime shifts they had fraudulently been compensated for;
- Issued multiple reports detailing the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s poor procurement and contract management practices relative to privatization contracts;
- Conducted multiple investigations into fraudulent use of federal pandemic funds that resulted in criminal prosecutions;
- Advocated for legislative improvements to the Commonwealth’s procurement statute, M.G.L. Chapter 30B; and
- In 2023, the OIG issued 7 reports, 13 public letters, recovered $1.7 million and trained over 2,000 individuals.
IG Shapiro is involved nationally in the Association of Inspectors General (AIG), serving on the Government Relations Committee and two membership sub-committees. The Government Relations Committee provides guidance to jurisdictions considering creating an office of the inspector general. IG Shapiro testified before committees of the Boston City Council and the Rhode Island House of Representatives on proposals to create an office of the inspector general in those jurisdictions.
Prior to his appointment, IG Shapiro was the First Deputy Comptroller of the Commonwealth. He has also served in various legal, administrative, and fiscal roles in the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office. Earlier in his career, IG Shapiro was a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and on Beacon Hill in Boston.
IG Shapiro earned his Juris Doctor from Suffolk Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. He is a member of the Massachusetts bar and is a Certified Inspector General.
IG Shapiro and his wife, Lisa, live in his hometown of Needham, where they raised their two now-adult sons.
Specialty & General Government Bureau
The Specialty & General Government Bureau includes the OIG’s statutory divisions (BPI, DSPO, ISAU) and the OIG-created divisions (Health Care, Public Procurement and General Government Oversight, and Veterans’).
Susanne O’Neil, Deputy Inspector General, Bureau Head
Susanne O’Neil serves as the Deputy Inspector General. She also leads the Specialty & General Government Bureau.
An attorney for 30 years, Susanne has experience in both the public and private sectors. She joined the OIG in January 2020 as Deputy General Counsel and was named General Counsel in June 2020. Susanne served as Acting First Assistant from June 2023 through the Office’s re-organization in January 2024, when she was named Deputy Inspector General, while also serving as General Counsel. She previously served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Norfolk District Attorney’s office, where she was responsible for special projects and handled appeals and post-conviction motions. She was the point prosecutor for complex matters involving state-wide litigation. Susanne also conducted trainings and advised on a range of evidence-related issues.
Susanne gained her civil litigation experience in private practice representing individuals and businesses and as Special Counsel for the City of Quincy handling tort claims. Some of her most personally rewarding work was representing veterans pro bono on their VA disability claims. She has volunteered in many local community organizations.
She is a graduate of Suffolk University School of Law and the College of the Holy Cross.
David B. Andrews, Director of the Division of State Police Oversight
David B. Andrews was appointed to a four-year term as the director of the OIG’s Division of State Police Oversight on December 3, 2018. He was reappointed in 2022 for a second four-year term.
Dave is a former prosecutor who has worked in the public sector for his entire career, building complex investigations prosecuting cases in court and preventing and detecting fraud in many areas, including insurance, public benefits, charities and fraud by public officials.
Prior to joining the OIG, Dave served at the Attorney General’s office for 25 years as chief of the Insurance and Unemployment Fraud Division. He also served as chief of the White Collar and Public Integrity Divisions, where he supervised investigations and prosecutions related to financial fraud, insurance fraud, mortgage fraud and complex public corruption.
Dave holds a B.A. from Stonehill College, an M.A. from Boston College and a J.D. from New England Law.
Neil Cohen, Director of the Public Procurement and General Government Division
Neil Cohen has held a variety of positions with the OIG since first joining in 1993. In spring 2024, Neil was appointed as the Director of Public Procurement and General Government. Previously, Neil served as the Director of the Regulatory and Compliance division that included the OIG Academy and the Chapter 30B technical assistance functions. Before that, he served as a Deputy Director for the Audit, Oversight and Investigations division. During his tenure with the OIG, Neil has worked on hundreds of cases and projects, helped spearhead the OIG’s comprehensive investigation of the Big Dig and managed the OIG’s oversight of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). He began his public service in 1988 working for the City of New York.
Neil is a Certified Fraud Examiner, a Certified Inspector General, and a Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Clark University and UMass Lowell and is a frequent guest lecturer for graduate-level classes and professional groups.
He is a graduate of Vassar College and has his M.A. in Public Administration from Columbia University.
Julie Lavin Flaherty, Director of the Bureau of Program Integrity
Julie Lavin Flaherty was first appointed as Director of the Bureau of Program Integrity (BPI) in September 2013, just after the Legislature created the BPI. She was reappointed in July 2021 for a third four-year term.
Julie has committed her 30-year career to public service. As the director of the BPI, Julie leads a small, collaborative team with a broad oversight role to promote the quality, integrity and efficiency of agencies and programs within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). Julie also builds partnerships with EOHHS agencies focused on problem-solving and promoting good government.
For more than 10 years, Julie served in the Child Support Enforcement Division at the Department of Revenue (DOR). At DOR, Julie developed and implemented policy, procedures and training designed to promote the safe collection of child support. Throughout her time at DOR, Julie contributed to working groups and committees under the Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse. Prior to her work at DOR, Julie served as prosecutor for over six years, specializing in domestic and sexual abuse cases.
Julie spent one year serving as a law clerk to the justices of the Superior Court, then a second year serving Chief Justice Joseph Warner and Justice Charlotte Perretta of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Julie is a graduate of Boston College and Boston College Law School.
Gregory H. Matthews, Director of the Healthcare Division
Gregory Matthews was appointed as the Director of the Healthcare Division in May 2023. With more than 25 years of legal experience in both the private and public sectors, Gregory will lead a collaborative team of professionals who review, analyze, comment on, report on and otherwise opine on a variety of healthcare policy, delivery and access issues, including matters related to practices in hospitals, free care services, service delivery, billing, the Medicaid programs, the Health Safety Net, and potential or actual instances of fraud, waste or abuse.
Gregory has worked in the public sector or for the public interest for most of his career. He gained substantial experience as a staff attorney in the Civil Unit for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; representing the Commonwealth as an assistant district attorney for Middlesex in the Appeals Unit; and as an associate for a national firm that represents plaintiffs in pharmaceutical antitrust class actions that impact state Medicaid programs.
Prior to joining the OIG, Gregory was a managing attorney in the Medicaid Fraud Division at the Attorney General’s Office responsible for pursuing team-based investigations and civil enforcement actions against healthcare providers who defrauded the Massachusetts Medicaid program (MassHealth), as well as reviewing and prosecuting complaints of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of residents in long-term care facilities and MassHealth members receiving services in the community. Gregory also served as a training instructor for the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units in addition to serving on its Resident Abuse Committee.
Gregory earned a B.S., cum laude, from Northeastern University and his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law.
James J. McNeill, Jr., Director of Veterans’ Services Oversight Division
James J. McNeill, Jr. was appointed Director of Veterans’ Services Oversight Division in July 2024.
James is a retired Chief Master Sargeant (USAF) with 33 years of military service. In 1988, he enlisted in the 267th Combat Communications Squadron and has held numerous positions in three different career fields throughout his service. As the Logistics Superintendent for the 253rd Cyberspace Engineering Installation Group (CEIG), Otis Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, he was responsible for providing guidance and problem resolution to eight aligned squadrons in seven states. In his role as 253rd CEIG Division Chief, he inspected, evaluated and prepared reports on squadron performance for compliance with Air Force directives. He retired as the 253rd CEIG Project Manager, planning and executing Engineering and Installation projects involving multiple agencies and the movement of personnel and equipment world-wide. His experiences, deployments, and leadership roles afford him a widespread understanding of the particular needs of veterans as well as the skills to assess agencies serving them.
James is an Air Education Training Command Top Graduate (Commander’s Award), and a Distinguished Graduate of the Non-Commissioned Officer Academy. He is holds two Associate’s Degrees from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor of Science Degree from Lesley University, and M.B.A. in Project Management from Grantham University.
Emily Pedersen, Director of the Internal Special Audit Unit
Emily Pedersen joined the OIG in November 2013 and was appointed to her current role in February 2019. At the Internal Special Audit Unit (ISAU) Emily oversees reviews and investigations to identify cost savings and opportunities for better process efficiencies, which improves transportation spending and operations.
Since joining the ISAU, Emily has led reviews of maintenance and construction contracts, analyzed lost toll revenue from state employees and investigated disability placard abuse. The team’s investigation of the misuse of disability placards received a Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Performance.
Prior to joining the ISAU, Emily worked for the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). For seven years, Emily proposed, planned and completed investigations, performance audits and compliance reviews across DHS.
Emily is a Certified Fraud Examiner and Certified Inspector General Auditor with audit and investigative experience at both the state and federal levels. She holds a B.A. of Business Administration from James Madison University, where she graduated with a degree in International Business.
Legal & Compliance Bureau
The Legal & Compliance Bureau is managed by the General Counsel. This bureau includes the Office of the General Counsel, the Audit, Oversight and Investigations Division, and the Government Outreach & Public Policy Division.
Genie Carris, General Counsel, Bureau Head
Eugenia M. (Genie) Carris was named General Counsel in July 2024. She leads the Legal & Compliance Bureau.
Prior to joining the OIG, Genie served in various positions at the US Attorney’s Office for 22 years, most recently as the Deputy Chief of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit. She is also an adjunct professor at Boston College Law School.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Genie investigated and prosecuted public corruption cases, including Big Dig contractors who overbilled the government, an extortion case involving a law enforcement official, and a major disability fraud investigation. Her experience will greatly enhance the OIG’s mission-driven work. Not only did her efforts hold the perpetrators accountable but also resulted in much needed reforms in public agencies, which, in the long run, helps to considerably reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
Early in her career, she clerked for The Honorable Mark L. Wolf of the United States District Court in Massachusetts. She spent several years in private practice at a large Boston firm. She has extensive civil and criminal litigation and trial experience, having also worked as a Special Assistant District Attorney and for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
She received her bachelor’s degree with honors from Harvard University and her J.D. Boston College Law School.
Josh Giles, Director of the Government Outreach & Public Policy Division
Josh Giles joined the OIG in 2007 and has been a division director since 2014. He serves as the main point of contact on legislative issues and municipal outreach and leads a team that manages the office’s statutory mandates in areas including real property and public construction.
Josh is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Inspector General. He has over two decades of public service experience for Massachusetts working on a myriad of public policy issues, including energy, environment, health care and more.
Previously, Josh was the Legislative Director for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), where he advised the secretary on legislative matters and coordinated the legislative agenda for 16 agencies. While at EOHHS, he worked on Massachusetts’ 2006 landmark health care reform legislation. Josh also served in various roles in the Minority Leader’s Office of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, including Chief of Staff, Legislative Director and Senior Policy Analyst.
Josh is a graduate of Saint Anselm College and holds an M.B.A. from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.
George A. Xenakis, Director of the Audit, Oversight and Investigations Division
George A. Xenakis was appointed as Director of the Audit, Oversight and Investigations division in April 2018. He has held multiple investigative positions within the OIG since first joining in August 2004.
George has been responsible for developing complex investigations, many of which have led to either criminal prosecutions or civil recoveries. His investigations cover diverse areas, including transportation, public administration, housing, procurement, energy, public corruption and public benefits.
Prior to joining the OIG, George worked extensively in the high-tech industry, including 21 years with Digital Equipment Corporation and Compaq Computer Corporation. He also worked for four years in public accounting, including two years with Arthur Young & Company.
George grew up in the South End of Boston. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Fraud Examiner and a licensed real estate broker. George is a former member of the town of Concord’s Affordable Housing Committee and the Concord Housing Development Corporation. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Boston University, and an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Accounting from Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Professional Accounting.
Operations, Training & Publications Bureau
The Operations, Training & Publications Bureau is responsible for a variety of functions, including budgeting, revenue, auditing, financial reporting, office administration, procurement, operations, information technology, communications, publications, human resources, data analytics, and records management within the OIG.
Katie Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Bureau Head
Katie is our first Chief Operating Officer. She joined the OIG in August 2023. Prior to that she served in the Comptroller’s Office for seven years, most recently as an Assistant Comptroller, and previously as Chief Process and Innovations Officer and as Director of Special Projects. In those roles, Katie evaluated business practices and identified how to improve them by developing strategic goals and objectives that drive innovation and create efficiencies. She was also responsible for reviewing and updating the Internal Control Plan and managed the annual budget development with the Legislature and A&F. Before working at the Comptroller’s Office, Katie served as the Budget Director for the House Ways & Means Committee.
Katie earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with Accounting minor from Providence College and a Master of Business Administration with Nonprofit concentration from Suffolk University.
Sean Burpoe, Deputy Director of the Data Analytics Division
Sean Burpoe was appointed Deputy Director of the Data Analytics division in February 2023. In his role, he assists with the development of data management processes and standards and coordination of the data analysis needs of the office.
Prior to joining the OIG, Sean held positions in both government and consulting. He previously worked as a Manager on the Data Strategy team at MassHealth, Massachusetts’s Medicaid agency, where he supported the organization’s Data & Analytics modernization efforts. Prior to that, he managed COVID-19 testing and vaccine projects and provided data reporting and dashboards for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. In his consulting work, Sean was an Associate Director at Social Finance where he managed data-centric projects with public and non-profit sector clients.
Sean earned a B.A. in Economics with a Minor in Mathematics from Boston College.
Sarah Hoover, Director of Human Resources & Recruiting
Sarah Hoover is an experienced human resources professional with expertise in employee recruitment, retention, and training as well as onboarding, employee benefits administration and knowledge of relevant employment laws. For the last four years Sarah served as the Director of Human Resources at an agency that provides behavioral and educational support to people with Autism Spectrum Diagnoses and their families.
Sarah earned her Associate of Science in Human Services from Mount Wachusett Community College, Bachelor of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Purdue University, and her MBA in Human Resource Management from Fitchburg State University.
Carrie Kimball, Communications Officer
Carrie Kimball is our first Communications Officer. Before joining us, she served with the Essex County District Attorney’s Office for 20 years, the last 11 years as a Director of Communications/Policy Advisor. In that role, Carrie served as the office’s spokesperson/public information officer. Additionally, Carrie assisted in developing drug prevention programs, developing public awareness and community outreach efforts. Prior to that, Carrie worked as a Press Secretary and Communications Director for various political campaigns and for former Lt. Governor Evelyn Murphy.
Carrie graduated with honors from Simmons College with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Government.
Karla B. Koza, Director of the Learning & Development Division
Karla Koza is the Director of the Learning & Development Division, which includes the OIG Academy and Chapter 30B assistance.
Karla has over 20 years of experience as an educator, instructional and curriculum designer, and project manager. Most recently, she was a district level leader in the Belmont Public Schools, where she led the reconfiguration of the school district which included managing the delivery of a $295 million building project, staffing shifts, moving logistics, and union negotiations. She also served as the principal of one of the largest middle schools in Massachusetts (during the pandemic). She has designed and facilitated the professional development of faculty and administrators across all grades and functions.
Karla has a Master of Education from DePaul University, a Master of Arts in Literature from Simmons College and a Bachelor of Arts in English from American University.
Alyssa Tasha, Director of the Data Analytics Division
Alyssa Tasha was appointed Director of the Data Analytics division in September 2022. Alyssa joined the OIG in 2016 and served most recently as a Senior Data Scientist for the Policy and Government and Bureau of Program Integrity divisions, with a primary focus on analysis of Health and Human Services programs.
Alyssa has over 20 years of military service in communications, in both active duty and reserve components. She currently serves as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the Massachusetts Air National Guard.
Prior to joining the OIG, Alyssa worked in Information Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her role there included system migration, website modernization, and end-user support.
Alyssa earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Hawaii Pacific University, and both an M.S. in Marketing Analytics and an M.S. in Business Analytics from Bentley University.
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| Date published: | July 17, 2024 |
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| Last updated: | October 4, 2024 |