Kristine Adams-Wannberg
"Elected Auditors" Panelist
Washington County Auditor
CIA, CGAP, MPA, BA Political Science
Kristine was elected Washington County Auditor in May 2022 and took office in January 2023. She is the third person and first woman to hold the office since its creation as an elected position in 1980. The Washington County Auditor’s Office is a performance audit function with a total of 3 FTE.
Kristine has performed auditing, program evaluation, strategic planning, and financial analysis for state and local government for over 20 years. She joined the Washington County Auditor's Office in September 2019, after working several years at the City of Portland, OR. At Portland Audit Services, she led Portland’s Fiscal Sustainability and Financial Condition: Long-term financial position needs attention audit in 2013, which won a Knighton Award from the Association of Local Government Auditors (ALGA). She also staffed the Police Investigations: Improvement needed to address relatively low clearance rates audit in 2005, another Knighton Award winner. She led several Service Efforts and Accomplishments reports that won awards from the Association of Government Accountants.
Kristine earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the College of Idaho and her Master of Public Administration degree from Portland State University. She is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), a Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP), and a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors. Kristine has served in many leadership roles in the Association of Local Government Auditors. She has chaired the Professional Issues Committee and the Annual Conference Committee, and she served as the organization's treasurer and in 2018-19 she served as its president. She currently serves on the Advocacy Committee. She has authored many articles in the Local Government Auditing Quarterly, presented at conferences, and planned regional trainings.
Kristine serves as a community volunteer on audit and budget committees for several governments, including the City of Hillsboro, the Hillsboro School District, the Oregon Department of Revenue, and Metro.
Jennifer McGuirk
"Elected Auditors" Panelist
Multnomah County Auditor
CIA
Multnomah County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk, CIA, started her second four-year term in 2023. As County Auditor, Jennifer promotes an accountable and equitable county government. Jennifer’s office has 10 staff auditors, a hotline director, an ombudsperson, and a constituent relations and DEI engagement specialist. During her tenure, she has overseen a variety of audits and investigations into county operations. Jennifer has increased the size of her audit team, advocated for successful Charter amendments to ensure the auditor’s access to information and to establish an ombudsperson in the Auditor’s Office, and developed a recently adopted ordinance that preserves the county’s hotline in the Auditor’s Office. Central to these accomplishments has been the support and feedback from her team, other auditors, the Association of Local Government Auditors’ Advocacy Committee, and community members. Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon and a master’s in public administration, emphasizing local government administration, from Portland State University.
Simone Rede
"Elected Auditors" Panelist
Simone Rede is the elected Auditor of Portland, Oregon. Voters overwhelmingly chose her in May 2022. Prior to her election, Auditor Rede was a principal management auditor at the Oregon Metro Auditor’s Office, where she audited major operations and investments like the Oregon Zoo and the regional affordable housing bond program. Before that, she conducted performance audits at the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division, including reviews of Oregon’s childcare system and TriMet, the Portland area’s transit provider. Auditor Rede has previous experience working in public agencies to improve access to higher education and economic development initiatives in greater Portland and southwestern Pennsylvania. She is a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Government Auditing Professional with a master’s degree in public policy from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Vassar College.
Cheryl Myers
"Elected Auditors" Panel Moderator
Deputy Secretary/Tribal Liaison
Ms. Myers' (she/her) professional background includes public policy, organizational leadership, economic development, public education/youth advocacy, and a history of assisting organizations to construct equitable cultures and embed collaborative practices. Her prior public service roles include Director of Economic & Business Equity in the Governor’s Office, Chief of Staff for the Higher Education Commission and as Operations & Engagement Director for Educator Advancement in the Chief Education Office and 8 years as an elected school board member. Her longstanding private sector business ownership lends insight into the varying aspects of unique business needs. She is the second person of color and the first person from the Asian American community to serve as Oregon’s Deputy Secretary of State.
Myers began life as an orphan in Korea before she was adopted by an Oregon family and raised in a SE Portland working-class family. She is deeply committed to community with service on local and national boards. She enjoys their floating home life with family and puppy, sharing meals with friends, paddle boarding, boating and riding her Harley.
Raymond De Silva
"Equity Auditing" Panelist
Raymond De Silva (he/him), constituent relations and diversity, equity, and inclusion engagement specialist, has a master's degree in spiritual formation and a certificate of diversity and inclusion from Cornell. He was the vice president of AFSCME Local 88 union and chair of the employees of color resource group, where he supported community-driven adoption of the county’s first workforce equity strategic plan to improve county government. He advanced a groundbreaking contract by negotiating the first microaggression language in any union contract nationwide. A graduate of the county's Leadership Academy, his public service career has focused on intergenerational IR-BIPOC and LGBTQ relationships for economic, social, and justice landscapes. His background includes non-profit, community outreach, music production, and public relations. Raymond is the son of Filipino and Sri Lankan first-generation immigrants.
Meredith Kim
"Equity Auditing" Panelist
Senior Internal Auditor, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Meredith Kim is a trailblazing professional in the world of audit services, currently serving as the Senior Internal Auditor at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Her journey in the field of auditing began in 2020 when she joined ODOT Audit Services, and since then, she has been at the forefront of pioneering efforts to integrate equity and climate considerations into every audit engagement.
Meredith's commitment to equity is not just a professional endeavor; it's a passion that she wholeheartedly embraces. She actively contributes to advancing equity within her field as a member of the AASHTO Equity Task Force, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping equitable practices in transportation. Within ODOT, Meredith has taken on the role of a Social Equity Partner, fostering inclusive practices and ensuring that the benefits of transportation reach every community.
One of Meredith's significant contributions to her organization is her leadership in the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) discussion series. Through these discussions, she drives meaningful conversations and initiatives to promote justice, equity, and inclusion within ODOT.
Meredith Kim's educational background reflects a rich and diverse academic journey. She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Oregon and possesses an undergraduate degree in Dairy Science from Cal Poly SLO.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Meredith embraces a well-rounded life. She shares her world with four adorable fur companions, finds solace in the beauty of nature, and is dedicated to leaving a positive mark on her community and the environment.
Torrey Sims
"Equity Auditing" Panelist
Torrey moved from Georgia to Oregon in 2020 to attend Willamette Law School. In Georgia he worked as an investigator with the US EEOC Atlanta District. In Oregon he has worked with the Office of Administrative Hearings, chairing their DEI Committee, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, and DHS/OHA, and was appointed in February 2022 with the Commission on Black Affairs. Torrey currently serves on the DEI Committee for the Association of Local Government Auditors where he has been training and developing tools for audit shops around the nation and world on how to audit government entities with an equity framework. Torrey has a BS in Political Science with an Africana Studies minor from Savannah State University along with two years of law school at Willamette.
Andrew Phelps
Presenter – "It's a Disaster! Audits and Emergency Management"
Vice President of Planning and Risk Reduction
Andrew brings more than two decades in emergency management and response operational and leadership experience to his role as Vice President of Planning and Risk Reduction with AC Disaster Consulting. As a consultant, Andrew works with clients to develop risk reduction and consequence management strategies and programs that are unique to their needs, built on a foundation of equity, and prepare communities for whatever may lie ahead.
Immediately prior to joining AC Disaster Consulting, Andrew served as the Director of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management where he oversaw the state’s comprehensive planning, training, exercise, and community engagement programs to reduce risk across the state and manage the consequences from emergencies and disasters. Andrew also served as the governor’s Homeland Security Advisor and the Governor’s Authorized Representative for nine federal disaster declarations. In 2022, Andrew led the creation of the state’s first cabinet-level Department of Emergency Management replacing the previous office of emergency management that had been a division of the Military Department.
Andrew has been an active member of the response and emergency management community in New York and New Mexico, where he has worked for local and state government as well as the non-profit sector. He has served as a firefighter, public information officer, planner, search and rescue technician, emergency operations center manager, emergency medical technician, and other roles throughout his career.
Andrew is an honors graduate from John Jay College in New York City. He received his Master of Arts from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security in Monterey, California. His thesis, Play Well With Others: Improvisational Theater and Collaboration in the Homeland Security Environment was published in 2013. Andrew is also a graduate of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and the FEMA Vanguard crisis leadership program.
Andrew and his family live near Portland, Oregon. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys exploring Oregon’s coastline, mountains, rivers, deserts, and forests or fine-tuning his skills as a coffee roaster.
Carla Axtman
"Getting Your Audit Seen" Panelist
Carla Axtman is a sixth generation Oregon and the Managing Editor of the Oregon Blue Book. She is a graduate of Linfield University and spent her early career as a teacher. Carla started her professional communications work creating and executing the digital strategy for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley’s successful 2007 campaign, followed by building and executing the digital strategy and campaigns for a national nonprofit organization. Carla expanded her traditional media relations and other communications skills working with public and private sector clients with a Portland creative agency. She began working in state government communications for the Chief Information Officer, promoting cybersecurity and translating complex policy for general public understanding. In late 2020, she accepted the role as Communications Director for the Oregon Secretary of State but jumped at the opportunity to lead the Oregon Blue Book project in 2022. In her free time, Carla is an accomplished art photographer and dabbles in ceramics. She lives in Sublimity with her partner Kevin and their cat, Eleanor Roosevelt.
Kierrah Byrd
"Getting Your Audit Seen" Panelist
Kierrah Byrd is an analytical, detail-oriented, strategic designer adept at working in collaborative environments to address marketing and communication needs for various organizations. Currently, she works for the Oregon Secretary of State as a Digital Strategist and Social Media Manager. Her primary focus is to support the four public-facing divisions with their communication needs, including design support and social media campaigns for PSA projects related to Get Out The Vote content for elections across Oregon, the Oregon Blue Book, and more.
Previously, she worked for organizations such as the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government's Center for Public Service as a marketing graphic designer. While there, she collaborated with multiple outreach programs, including their Executive MPA program, Certificate in Tribal Relations program, and Public Service programs. Many of the design and marketing frameworks she created are still in use.
As part of her personal practice, she had the opportunity to collaborate with Imagine Black, The Contingent, and their co-sponsors on designing the logo for the Oregon Cares Fund, which brought $62 million in COVID-relief funds to Black Oregonians.
Currently, she freelances as a brand designer, with clients including:
- Center For Public Service
- HUB Collective
- Imagine Black
- Joop Joop Creative
- Oregon Cares Fund
- Oregon Childcare Project
- PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement
- Rebellious PR
- SEI
- Soul Soak
- WVDO
- Y.G.B. Portland
She believes that design and communication should be friendly and approachable. Ultimately, she is a storyteller, designer, and community organizer who empowers underrepresented communities in her work. She has always advocated for those whose voices are not as prominent, and her work reflects these values.
Laura Kerns
"Getting Your Audit Seen" Panelist
Laura Fosmire Kerns is the Communications Specialist for the Audits Division of the Oregon Secretary of State. Her skill set has allowed her to establish a broad portfolio within the position, including: media relations and serving as the primary point of contact for the Audits Division; crisis communications under an emergency management framework; assisting with agency-wide communications (and national media attention on the Elections Division) under previous Secretaries of State; managing public records requests on behalf of the division; visual design and data visualization in developing a cohesive brand and suite of standards and templates for the division; using social media and a variety of platforms to promote the division’s good work; and first and foremost serving as a critical quality assurance control in helping to write and edit audit reports. Laura first joined the Audits Division in 2015 as a performance auditor; before that, she was a reporter with the Salem Statesman Journal, covering breaking news, crime, courts, city government, and business.
Laura is a member of the National Association of Government Communicators. She holds a Master of Science in journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, and a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and arts and humanities from Michigan State University. She lives in Independence with her husband, two small cats, and two big dogs. She is a lover of coffee, Oregon’s glorious outdoors, and in her free time, works in the tasting room of Stoller Family Estate, one of Oregon’s top wineries.
Griffin Walker
"Getting Your Audit Seen" Panelist
Griffin Walker is the Web Administrator for Oregon Secretary of State. Originally from New York’s Hudson Valley, and still rocking that NY accent, he has lived in Oregon for over 20 years. Prior to State service, Griffin has been a professor at various local colleges teaching web design, user experience design, project management and other technology-based subjects. When not trying to improve the user experience of SOS websites, you can usually find him relaxing with his wife and fur-babies or playing a video game.
Bentley Walker
"Getting your Audit Seen" Moderator
Presenter – "They Just Don’t get me!" How to Catch and Keep a "Digital" Generation Employee
Staff Auditor, Oregon Secretary of State
MSFA, CPC-A
Bentley (they/she) spent the first part of their professional life in retail, working for leading fashion brands. Wanting a change of pace, they moved to Oregon and got a BS in accounting, an MS in financial analysis, a life partner, a house, two dogs and two cats. All in all, it was a very good move. When not being a kick-butt performance auditor, they like to cook, garden and snuggle with their animals.
R. Kinney Poynter
Presenter – "Emerging Issues in Government Accountability and Oversight"
Executive Director, NASACT
CPA
Kinney Poynter is the Executive Director for the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers (NASACT). In this capacity, he is responsible for the overall operations of NASACT as well as the programs of the National Association of State Comptrollers and National State Auditors Association. NASACT is a professional organization that facilitates efforts to improve state government transparency, accountability, and financial management. Kinney has been with NASACT since 1989, previously serving as the association’s Deputy Director and various other positions.
In addition to his experience with NASACT, he has been a partner of a local public accounting firm in Lexington, Kentucky, and a principal auditor with the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts, where he conducted financial, performance, and investigative audits on state agencies and local governments. While in public practice, he performed single audits on various nonprofit organizations.
Kinney has BS and MS degrees in accounting from the University of Kentucky and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Association of Government Accountants (AGA). He previously served on the AICPA Governing Council. He is also a member of the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Accountants, where he has served as chairman of the Governmental Accounting Committee. Kinney has served as an instructor domestically and internationally on a variety of governmental accounting and auditing issues.
Patrick Short
Presenter – "Improvisation and Stories: Why They Matter" and "Improve Skills for Auditors and People Who Love Them"
GM of Viewers Like You, LLC
Patrick Short (he/him) has facilitated improv-based workshops and keynotes for over 800 organizations, including Intel, Nike, Google, Oregon Department of Revenue, Federal Defenders, several Multnomah County agencies and Oregon Food Bank. Improv skills are the best training available for an ever-changing world: adaptability, collaboration, inspiration, gratitude and fun! Patrick has taught, live and via Zoom, in 40 countries. He serves as co-owner and GM of CSz Portland, producers of ComedySportz, plays keyboards, eats right and always flosses.
Matt Kaufman
Presenter – "How to Build a Talent Pipeline"
Matt is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Portland State University focused primarily on governmental accounting and performance management. He lives in Sherwood, Oregon where he serves on budget committees for the city and school board.
Ian Green
"Equity Auditing – Addressing Equity in Your Work" Moderator
Audit Manager
M.Econ, CGAP, CFE, CISA, CIA
Ian Green has been with the Oregon Secretary of State Audits Division for over a decade and is a Performance Audit Manager overseeing the division’s data analytics function. During his tenure, Ian has conducted audit work at every major state agency on topics such as the use of overtime in prisons, caseload forecasting, university payroll fraud, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, financial condition and strategic planning, statewide information technology security, and improper Medicaid payments. Ian is a two-time recipient of the National State Auditors Association Excellence in Accountability Award, including best performance audit in the nation.
Before working for the Oregon Audits Division, Ian conducted economic research, statistics instruction, and compliance auditing, and has worked on a wide range of independent consulting projects. He received a master’s degree in economics from Portland State University.
Ian is a past president of the Salem chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors and volunteers with the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers. He is a Certified Government Auditing Professional, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Information Systems Auditor, and Certified Internal Auditor. Ian routinely conducts training in fraud prevention and detection, data mining, and internal controls.
Eric Spivak
Presenter – "Cognitive Bias and Its impact on Decision Making"
Eric Spivak has spent over 25 years working in the government sector as an auditor, consultant, and trainer. He has held audit positions in state, county, and local governments and most recently served as Jackson County Auditor for ten years before recently returning to freelance work. Eric is frequent speaker at regional and national conferences and has had multiple articles published in the ALGA quarterly. Eric has a Master's degree in Public Administration and holds the CIA, CGAP, and CRMA designations.
Ben Thompson
Presenter – "Audits in Flux"
Ben Thompson is the Deputy King County Auditor and Transit Audit Manager. Ben has led and supervised audits on topics ranging from take-home vehicles to paratransit. Before joining King County, Ben spent six years at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), in D.C. and at the Seattle field office. At GAO, Ben led performance audits of the Defense Department. Ben served in the Peace Corps in Uzbekistan, teaching finance, accounting, and economics to university students. Ben has a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Mac Treece
Presenter – "Your Community by the Numbers: An Introduction to Data.Census.gov"
Data Dissemination Specialist
Mac Treece joined the Census Bureau in 2018 to serve as a Partnership Specialist for the Community Partnership and Engagement Program (CPEP). During the 2020 Census, Mac worked with the Los Angeles Region field operations to educate, encourage and engage diverse communities in order to increase decennial participation. She has led partnership efforts in establishing Complete Count Committees (CCC), Census Mobile Questionnaire Assistance Program as well assisting in the formation of CPEP’s 2021 Data Summit Series.
As a Data Dissemination Specialist, Mac is focused on promoting Census data tools and services to various customers in Northern California counties.
Bevin Clapper
Presenter – "Internal Audit Development: A Survey of Resources"
MPA, CIA, CGAP, CRMA
Bevin Clapper, MPA CIA CGAP CRMA is the owner and principal auditor at Good Governance Solutions LLC. After over a decade in state service at multiple agencies in Oregon, she founded Good Governance Solutions to provide risk assessment, performance auditing, training, mentoring, program evaluation, and coaching to small businesses, nonprofits, and government organizations. Bevin started her state service in 2008 after graduating from the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University with a Master’s in Public Administration. Starting her career at the Oregon Secretary of State Audit Division as a performance auditor, she moved over to internal auditing as the Chief Audit Executive mostly for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Bevin serves on the board of the Salem Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors as the President Elect. She is also a member of the Oregon Department of Revenue’s Audit Committee.
Amelia Eveland
Presenter – "It’s a Disaster! Audits and Emergency Management"
Secretary of State Audits Division
Amelia has more than 15 years of state performance audit experience. Audit work inspired her passion for emergency management, and she has spent many years auditing in that sphere. She has also passed many commuting hours pondering the puzzle of our state's emergency management system. As a lead auditor, Amelia has conducted additional projects on emergency-related topics, such as outbreak control in long-term care and wildfire response and recovery.
Amelia is a graduate of Oregon State University and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Business Administration. She lives in Corvallis, Oregon where she grew up working in her family’s businesses. Outside of work, Ameila enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and creative projects.