Nathan Dufault

Nathan A. Dufault joined the Office of the Veteran Advocate in May 2024 as the Investigator & Veterans Safety Advisor. In this role, he is responsible for coordinating, overseeing, and leading investigations, inspections, audits, and reviews that fall within the jurisdiction and purview of the OVA. His work focuses on critical incident reviews, investigative oversight, systemic risk identification, and recommendations designed to improve safety, accountability, and services for veterans across the Commonwealth.

Nathan brings more than 20 years of public safety experience, including nearly a decade in federal law enforcement. He has conducted and supported criminal, administrative, death, personnel, and critical incident investigations across private, state, and federal settings. He is a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia, and the Veterans Affairs Law Enforcement Training Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. He is also a Certified Professional Criminal Investigator, Certified Cyber Intelligence Investigator, and POST-certified police officer.

In addition to his law enforcement and investigative background, Nathan is a certified Massachusetts Emergency Medical Technician and Pro Board-certified Firefighter I/II with more than 20 years of fire and EMS experience serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. He is also credentialed as a Fire Prevention Officer and Public Fire and Life Safety Educator and holds numerous additional certifications and credentials in emergency management, incident command, fire service operations, EMS, hazardous materials response, public safety, and emergency preparedness.

Nathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University and a Master of Science in Emergency Management from the University of New Haven. He has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Compliance Investigations through the University of New Haven, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Forensic Criminology from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Nathan is currently completing a Master of Science in Investigations with a focus on Financial Crimes at the University of New Haven. His specialized training also includes death investigation coursework and training through the Texas Forensic Science Academy at Texas A&M University.