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About

Who We Are

We are the Office of Inspector General (OIG)—the statutory, independent entity within the U.S. Department of Education (Department) responsible for identifying fraud, waste, abuse, and criminal activity involving Department funds, programs, and operations. We conduct independent audits and other reviews and criminal and civil investigations. We recommend actions to address systemic weaknesses and improve Department programs and operations. We also recommend changes needed in Federal laws and regulations.

Mission Statement

We promote the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of the Department’s programs and operations through independent and objective audits, investigations, inspections, and other activities.

Vision

To be a dynamic, high-performing oversight organization with a diverse, inclusive, engaged, and skilled workforce that drives continuous improvement in Federal education programs.

Core Values

Our core values guide our professional actions and decisions. They answer the question, “What do we stand for?” Our core values align with our CARE for each other, our mission, and our work. 

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Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence

Learn More about the OIG

Click on the buttons below to learn more about who we are and what we do.

 

For more information about the OIG, contact the OIG Public Affairs Office.

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Byron Gordon

Bryon Gordon is the Assistant Inspector General for Audit. Gordon is responsible for leading all audit operations, including developing the annual audit program and working with ED leaders and Congress to assure recommendations are implemented to improve the integrity and efficiency of the programs to better serve students and parents and protect taxpayer’s investments in American education.

Assistant Inspector General Gordon has more than 15 years of experience in auditing Federal education programs. Many of his audit recommendations have resulted in programmatic, statutory, and regulatory changes to address risk and internal controls to improve program operations. For 23 years, Gordon served at the Government Accountability Office, starting as an Evaluator and rising to Assistant Director, where he focused on education issues, predominately matters involving K-12. In 2013, Gordon joined the OIG as Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit, becoming the Assistant Inspector General for Audit in 2018.

Gordon earned his BA in Economics and Policy Studies from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in State and Local Public Finance from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

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Robert Mancuso

Robert (Rob) Mancuso is the Inspector General for OIG’s Investigation Services. In this position, Mancuso leads all OIG investigative operations, including information technology-based crimes and criminal activity. Mancuso previously served as the Assistant Inspector General of the OIG’s Technology Services component (formerly the Information Technology Audits and Computer Crime Investigations unit).

Assistant Inspector General Mancuso began his Federal law enforcement career in 1998 with the Social Security Administration (SSA) OIG, where he helped to conceive, develop and implement a project to identify weakness in SSA’s death alert system, which ultimately identified millions of dollars in overpayments and projected savings to SSA. In 2001, Mancuso joined ED OIG as an investigator in its Washington Field Office and then served as an acting Desk Officer for a year. In 2004, Mancuso became a Program Manager and played an integral role in creating the ED OIG Computer Crime Investigation Division (CCID). In this position, Mancuso oversaw the transition and growth from CCID to the Technology Crimes Division, helped create the ED OIG Data Analysis and Referral Team, and supervised the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the OIG’s first unauthorized access (18 USC 1030) case.

In January 2008, Mancuso joined the U.S. Department of Transportation OIG where he helped start their Computer Crimes Unit, first as a Senior Computer Crimes Agent and then as its Assistant Special Agent in Charge. Mancuso re-joined ED OIG in August of 2015 as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Technology Crimes Division and was shortly thereafter promoted to Special Agent in Charge.

Mancuso earned his Bachelor of Arts in Corporate Communications with a minor in Business from Elon College in North Carolina.

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Antigone Potamianos

Antigone Potamianos serves as Counsel to the Inspector General and leads the OIG’s Legal Services team. She and her team are responsible for providing legal advice and services, as well as handling the OIG’s Congressional, media, Freedom of Information Act, and ethics programs.

Prior to joining the OIG in August 2018, Potamianos she served as Deputy Counsel to the Inspector General at U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she and her staff also provided legal services to the Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency. She also served as Senior Counsel in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, where she worked on procurement fraud litigation matters, including assisting on significant civil False Claims Act settlements, and on matters involving oversight of the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Further, Potamianos worked as a committee staff member for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee (now the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.)

Potamianos earned her undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, and her law degree from George Mason School of Law.

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Francine Hines

Francine Hines serves as the Assistant Inspector General for Management Services. Hines is responsible for leading support operations for the OIG’s budget, human resources functions, administrative operations, and its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

Assistant Inspector General Hines has more than 20 years of government and private sector experience leading business and management operations. Throughout her career, Hines has reengineered programs and processes to reduce costs and improve performance. She has also led her teams in resolving human capital problems to promote an inclusive workplace, encourage optimal effort, and continuously develop staff to improve and sustain support operations.

Prior to joining the OIG in December 2019, Hines work at the United States Postal Service as the Deputy Inspector General for Management Services, Director of Budget and Financial Operations and Director of Audit Services.

Hines earned her BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Bowie State University and a Masters in Information Technology from the University of Maryland. Hines is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Government Financial Manager, and Certified Lean-Six-Sigma.

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Sean Dawson

Sean Dawson was selected as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit Services in June 2018, becoming part of a management team responsible for audits, inspections, and other activities that ensure integrity in ED’s operations and programs while identifying opportunities for improvement.

Deputy Assistant Inspector General Dawson has been a part of the Inspector General community for more than 25 years, including auditing positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture OIG, the U.S. Postal Service OIG, and the Small Business Administration OIG. Dawson has served at the Department of Education OIG since 2002, starting as an auditor with the Operations Internal Audit Team, rising to the position of Assistant Director, and then becoming the Director of the Strategic Planning, Administration, and Resolution Team. In these roles, Dawson gained extensive experience in conducting performance audits and was responsible for a wide range of activities including quality assurance and policy, annual audit work planning, strategic planning, and audit resolution.

Dawson earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the State University of New York.

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Kevin Young

Kevin J. Young joined the OIG in 2020 as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for the OIG’s Information Technology Audits and Computer Crime Investigations (now Technology Services), and is currently the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the unit.

Deputy Assistant Inspector General Young has more than 26 years in experience Federal auditing, data analysis and investigative support experience. Prior to joining the OIG in 2020, Young was the Director of the Strategic Analysis & Research Division for the U.S. Department of State, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations. In that position, Young developed forensic accounting capabilities and established a data analytics program. He led a team of investigative analysts and forensic auditors in support of criminal, civil, and administrative investigations. His team was responsible for proactively identifying potential frauds and vulnerabilities using data analytics. Prior to joining the Department of State OIG, Young worked for the U.S. Army Audit Agency (USAAA) in various roles for over 19 years. He was the Audit Manager for the Korea Field Office from May 2007 to June 2013. Prior to his assignment to Korea in May 2007, he was an Audit Manager for Intelligence and Security Division at Fort Belvoir. He also served as the Deputy for Applied Technology, Operations Center. Kevin started his career with the USAAA at the Detroit Field Office in 1994. He spent 6 years at the Korea Field Office where he served as an Audit Supervisor, Lead Auditor, and Local Area Network Administrator.

Young has a BS in Accounting with a minor in Economics from Penn State University, a MS in International Management and a MS in Public Administration from Troy State University. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and Certified Internal Auditor.

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Bronzwyn Palmer

Bronzwyn Palmer serves as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Management Services. Palmer is a collaborative and adaptable leader with significant experience in the development and coordination of administrative policies and processes for geographically dispersed organizations in the areas of facilities, asset management, procurement, financial management, budget execution, human capital, and information technology management.

Prior to joining the OIG in 2021, Palmer held a number of key leadership positions in the federal government. She served as the Chief of Staff for the ICE Asset and Facilities Management Officer. Palmer was responsible for executing enterprise-wide workforce initiatives, facilities and administrative policy, and resource management for the agencies 20K employees. Palmer has been consistently recognized for active leadership, superior interpersonal, and communication skills to facilitate efficient mission execution throughout federal agencies. Palmer was recognized for spearheading the facilities project to support the creation of the DHS Center for Combatting Human Trafficking.

Deputy Assistant Inspector General Palmer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina Central University and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management.

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Core Values

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Theresa Perolini

Theresa Perolini was selected as the Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audit Services in July 2022, becoming part of a management team responsible for audits, inspections, and other activities that ensure integrity in ED’s operations and programs while identifying opportunities for improvement. Perolini began her career in the Federal government in 2003 with the Internal Revenue Service, and shortly thereafter joined ED OIG as an auditor in New York. In 2009, Perolini became Assistant Regional Inspector General for Audit in the New York audit region, managing audit projects and leading regional audit staff. She transferred to the OIG’s newly formed Quality and Integrity Group in 2011 and became Director in 2018. In this role, Perolini established and administered the OIG’s internal quality assurance program, providing oversight of OIG audits, inspections, criminal investigations, and business operations. She also oversaw OIG’s internal affairs program, supervising investigations of employee misconduct; and developed and facilitated the OIG’s’s enterprise risk management program. Perolini obtained a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems and a master’s degree in Accounting from Queens College, City University of New York. She also has a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University. Theresa is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner.