The Denver City Auditor’s Office should be an agent of public accountability. It should provide essential oversight, transparency, and meaningful information regarding the City and County of Denver’s activities.
I have more than 40 years of auditing and accounting experience and I have completed more than 1,000 audits as the Denver Auditor and State Auditor. I am a licensed Certified Public Accountant — and I hold the designations of Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Global Management Accountant.
I am committed to professionalism in the Denver Auditor’s Office so that there is high-quality audit work performed with competence, integrity, objectivity, and independence. As your Auditor, I will continue to help improve government operations and services. For the Denver Auditor’s Office to perform such a needed public service, the City Auditor must be qualified, experienced, and independent. I am that person.
National and Local Recognition
Leading is not just about collecting awards, but recognition from my peers across the country helps demonstrate the substance of my qualifications and the trustworthiness of the results of my audits.
Since becoming the Denver Auditor, my audit teams have won repeated national awards from the Association of Local Government Auditors for our reports on Rocky Mountain Human Services, affordable housing, neighborhood sidewalk repair, the Denver Preschool Program, and parking shuttle services at Denver International Airport.
In 2022, I was appointed to the U.S. Comptroller General’s Advisory Council on Government Auditing Standards where I share my expertise and help shape future auditing standards for auditors across the country. The advisory council gives input for updates to the professional standards, also known as the “Yellow Book.” Denver’s Auditor is required by city charter to follow these standards. The Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards include “requirements for audit reports, professional qualifications for auditors, and audit organization quality control. Auditors of federal, state, and local government programs use these standards to perform their audits and produce their reports.”
Also in 2022, I received the David M. Walker Excellence in Government Accountability Award from the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum. According to the organization, winners of the award must have demonstrated leadership to improve government performance and accountability, implemented innovative techniques to create a positive future for government and the audit profession, and adhered to the core values of collaboration, professionalism, and integrity.
It was an honor to receive the ADA Access Award from the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition in 2018. I was also honored to accept the 2017 Outstanding CPA in Government Impact Award from the American Institute of CPAs and the 2016 Jonathan Holtzinger Award of Excellence from the Colorado Chartered Financial Analyst Society for demonstrating the highest standards as a financial and investment professional.
State Auditor
As Colorado State Auditor for more than 11 years, I produced over 750 audit reports that improved government operations on education, transportation, economic development, the environment, and virtually all major aspects of government. These audits identified savings in excess of $200 million. The audits also provided objective analysis and the information needed for state leaders to make the decisions necessary to help create a better future.
Audit Modernization
My Denver Auditor’s Office is a clear leader in innovative audit technology and techniques. A cornerstone of my administration so far has been elevating our cybersecurity work and creating an entirely new Audit Analytics Team focused on using new tools and technology to make auditing even more efficient and effective.
In 2022, I tasked my team with surveying more than 100 local government audit organizations across the country, and we reviewed professional literature about audit analytics to assess the current state of methods, tools, and applications to auditing.
The nationwide survey we did for this special analysis revealed that the Denver Auditor’s Office specifically excels in several areas — including having dedicated audit analytics resources, applying analytics and continuous auditing for general risk assessment and annual planning, and reporting analytical results in a variety of ways.
Inclusion and Accessibility
In my office, we continuously explore new ways to reach members of the community where they are and in ways that matter to them. We work with community groups, registered neighborhood organizations, businesses, and other organizations to spread the word about what we do.
We are continually working to make our audit reports more accessible by using plain language, clear design tools and infographics, and ADA access reviews. I have prioritized language access and I am proud to offer resources for both audit work and wage education in English, Spanish, and other languages. My bilingual staff are an essential resource for Denver’s diverse communities.
Education
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration with Accounting major, Loyola University – Chicago
Master’s in Business Administration, University of Colorado
Community and Business Leadership
| Family of 29 mutual funds: | Chairman of the Board Audit Committee Designated Expert Governance Committee Investment Committee |
| Telecommunications company: | Board Member Chairman of the Audit Committee Audit Committee Designated Expert |
| Public Employee Retirement Association of Colorado: | Board of Trustees Member Audit Committee Chairman Investment Committee Member |
| Lions Club of Denver: | President Board Member |
| Colorado Institute of CPAs: | Governing Council Member Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Chairman of the Board Chairman of the Audit Committee |
| American Humane Association: | Board Member Chairman of the Audit Committee Treasurer President and CEO |
| Alaska Pension Investment Board: | Investment Advisory Council Member |