Linda (Nancy) Birnbaum

L. Nancy Birnbaum became GAO’s third Inspector General on March 27, 2022.

She is responsible for leading the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in its mission to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in GAO programs and operations. She also served as the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations beginning in September of 2019.

Nancy joined GAO OIG in 2016 as a senior criminal investigator where she worked on a variety of cases to help ensure GAO’s accountability and integrity. Prior to joining GAO, Nancy spent over 15 years working in other OIGs, including the Department of Transportation, National Science Foundation, Government Publishing Office, and the Defense Information Systems Agency. Nancy brings to the role of Inspector General a rare combination of experience in all four areas of OIG work: investigations, audits, inspections, and legal.

Nancy earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a minor in law and legal institutions from Lehigh University in 1986, a law degree from the Yale Law School in 1989, and a master’s degree in public policy from the George Washington University in 1995. Nancy is a member of the Pennsylvania and Supreme Court bars and is a Certified Fraud Examiner. Nancy actively participates in the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), a council of federal Inspectors General that promotes collaboration on issues of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness that transcend individual agencies.