Dear Reader:

I took the helm at the Office of the State Inspector General on August 31, 2026. In just a few short weeks, I have come to see firsthand the extent to which the staff who work here seek to fulfill the Office’s mission with dedication, selflessness, and focus. I hope as you page through this catalogue of their work during the past fiscal year—efforts which predated my tenure but which I am eager to share—you come away with a sense of how deeply these public servants believe in improving government and protecting the interests of all Virginians.

Leadership transitions in public service are rarely straightforward or without challenge. At various points in the past few months, the executive team, unit supervisors, and line staff in this Office have stepped up in extraordinary ways to continue the Office’s work and to support its important mission. I am extremely grateful to them for their efforts.

As a former federal prosecutor, and as a veteran of two financial regulators charged with protecting investors and holding fraudsters accountable, I understand the critical importance of having an effective watchdog in place to guard state resources and to protect the taxpayers. I look forward to finding innovative ways to leverage the investigative acumen of this Office in the weeks and months ahead. For now, I hope you take away from the pages that follow some measure of the deep appreciation I have developed for this Office’s work and the dedicated public servants who support it.

Sincerely,

/s/ Daniel T. Young
State Inspector General