Often called the “congressional watchdog,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) team strives to provide independent, non-partisan contributions to the oversight and decision-making process undertaken by Congress that influences federal spending of tax payers’ dollars. Through a range of methods, GAO reviews programs, policies, and uses of federal funds to make sure that they are efficient, effective, and achieve their intended purpose. GAO has staff across the country and projects in practically every field and topic, including international affairs, health care, homeland security, environmental issues, information technology, and transportation policy to name a few.
On April 21, SPP welcomes a team of experts from GAO to talk about their substantive areas of expertise and how their day-to-day work supports the office's mission. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insights into what GAO does, what it is like to work there, and potential career opportunities.
Lunch will be provided.
About the Speakers:
Sarah Farkas is an Assistant Director in GAO’s Physical Infrastructure team. She joined GAO in 2008 and has been working on transportation and related topics since then. These have included truck and highway safety, airport runway safety, transportation workforce issues and automated driving. Sarah also serves as a member of GAO’s adjunct faculty, focusing on teaching and facilitating courses on workplace values, norms and accessibility. Sarah is currently on detail to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Prior to joining GAO, Sarah worked on state tax and budget issues for a nonprofit focused on helping working families. She holds a BA from Brown University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.
Leslie V. Gordon is a Director in GAO’s Health Care team where she leads the agency’s work overseeing the Medicare program. Most recently, Leslie has led work on hospital price transparency, physician consolidation, graduate medical education, Medicare Advantage and telehealth, use of supplemental nurses and oversight of Medicare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. She joined GAO in 2000 and her work on Medicare payments and Medicare and Medicaid program integrity helped prompt agency and congressional actions that resulted in billions of dollars in federal savings. Prior to joining GAO, Leslie was a Project Director and Research Instructor at the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. Leslie holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Kristen Jones MPP '07 is an Assistant Director in GAO’s Education, Workforce, and Income Security team. She oversees a portfolio of engagements primarily related to federal child care subsidies and has overseen work examining federal programs related to income assistance, accessibility and service member transitions. Beyond her engagement work, Kristen is an active member of GAO’s adjunct faculty. She also co-founded a community of practice for analysts working on accessibility-related issues. Before GAO, Kristen worked for the Annie E. Casey Foundation and completed a master's degree in public policy with a specialization in social policy from the University of Maryland. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking for friends, reading, jogging in Rock Creek Park, co-leading a Girl Scout troop, and spending time with her husband, son Ben (12), and daughter Lucy (10).
Tina Won Sherman is a Director at GAO and currently leads a portfolio of work that includes critical infrastructure protection, transportation security, law enforcement, and science and technology issues in GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice Team. She also served on a detail in GAO’s Office of Congressional Relations, where she supported the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Relations, Intelligence and Veterans’ Affairs committees. Prior to GAO, she worked at the New America Foundation, a non-partisan think tank. Tina studied at the University of California, San Diego, Virginia Tech, and the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds a bachelor of arts, master of arts, and doctor of philosophy in government and politics.
Breana Stevens is a Senior Analyst at GAO where she works on issues related to homeland security, disasters, and immigration. She is originally from Mobile, AL, and attended the University of West Florida for her B.A. in International Studies. Following that degree, she completed a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA and then attended Rutgers University for her MPP where she focused on K-12 education policy. In addition to being a Senior Analyst, she is also a PhD candidate at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy where her research focuses on individual and collective response to neighborhood crime in the U.S.
Joe Thompson is an Assistant Director in GAO’s Natural Resources and Environment team. He coordinates GAO’s climate change work and has been at GAO for 22 years. Joe has a BS in environmental policy from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Most of Joe’s free time is spent playing with his 6-year-old daughter, Audra, and volunteering for local government.