Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe Selected to Lead Recovery Board

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kathleen S. Tighe, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education and a strong proponent of transparency and accountability in government, has been selected by President Obama to serve as the new Chair of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100702/RECOVERYLOGO)

Ms. Tighe, a member of the Recovery Board since April 2010, replaces Earl E. Devaney, who is retiring on December 31 after nearly three years in the post.

"Under Earl Devaney's leadership, the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board became a model for government oversight—ensuring that Recovery Act dollars were distributed efficiently and effectively across the country. He will be greatly missed,'' said Vice President Joe Biden. "I'm confident that Kathleen Tighe will continue to hold the Board to the high standards set by Earl as the Recovery Act's top watchdog.''

In a statement, Ms. Tighe said: "I am honored to have been appointed by the President to serve our nation's taxpayers in an additional capacity as chair of the Recovery Board.  Ensuring that there is effective oversight, accountability and transparency involving Recovery Act dollars has been the hallmark of the Board's work to date, and I intend to continue that critical mission."

Ms. Tighe also serves on the Government Accountability and Transparency Board, an important component of the President's campaign against fraud and waste in government.  The GAT Board, in a report issued to the President on December 14, concluded that the Recovery Board's transparency and accountability initiatives should be expanded throughout government.

A veteran of the Inspector General community, Ms. Tighe served as trial attorney in the Fraud Section of the Justice Department from 1988 to 1991. Later, she joined the Office of the Inspector General at the General Services Administration, serving as Assistant Counsel and then as Counsel for the Inspector General. In 2006, she became the Deputy Inspector General at the Department of Agriculture.

On March 17, 2010, Ms. Tighe was sworn in as the Inspector General for the Department of Education. She will retain that position when she assumes her new duties as Chair of the Recovery Board on January 1.

At the Education Department, Ms. Tighe has delivered on her long commitment to government openness and accountability.

A news release announcing her appointment was issued by the Recovery Board on Friday.

The Recovery Board operates the Recovery.gov website that carries information on how the $840 billion in Recovery funds have been spent.

For more information contact:

Edward Pound
Director of Communications
Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
202-254-7930

Cheryl Arvidson
Assistant Director of Communications
Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board
202-254-7910

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SOURCE Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board