History
AGA Past National
President June Gibbs Brown, CGFM, Retires
January 2001
After an illustrious career in federal service spent
ferreting out fraud, waste and abuse, June Gibbs Brown, CGFM, has
retired from the federal government. Brown, who served as the
1985-1986 AGA National President, was most recently the inspector
general at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Her retirement ceremony in January was attended by more than 250
people, including the now former HHS Secretary Donna Shalala.
Brown had
previously served as inspector general at the U.S. Department of
Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the
Social Security Administration. During her eight-year tenure at HHS,
the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was credited with in
excess of $76 billion in savings as well as more than 4,600 criminal
prosecutions and 3,600 civil actions.
In 1999, Brown
was interviewed for The Government Accountants Journal with the
other three women who have served as AGA National President.
The women
discussed the various issues they faced in building careers in a
field dominated by men. Brown recalled graduating No. 1 in a class
of 1,800 and not being able to get an interview with a public
accounting firm. She said she found government to be a much more
welcoming environment and by the time she was elected AGA National
President, she had already served as inspector general at two
federal agencies.
During her
tenure as AGA National President, despite her distinctly federal
career, Brown championed the cause of state and local government
members, who at that time did not believe they were getting what
they needed from AGA and were threatening to quit and join the
Government Finance Officers Association. Brown took on this
challenge by working tirelessly during her year to pass a resolution
requiring that one out of every three years, the AGA National
President would be from outside of Washington, D.C. This move opened
the door for state and local members to become AGA leaders and that
group today makes up half of our membership.
Brown plans to
spend her retirement resting, enjoying her grandchildren and writing
a book. On behalf of all AGA members, we wish June Gibbs Brown a
happy retirement and thank her for her service to AGA—and the
profession. by Marie
Sullivan Force, MA