Commissioners at the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) have announced the selection of Arthur A. Elkins, Jr., as inspector general. Since 2010, Elkins has served as inspector general for both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
“I am excited about the WSSC mission and the chance to create a high performing Office of the Inspector General (OIG) within the WSSC,” said Elkins. “My goal is to assist the Commission, through the work of the OIG, to achieve its stated goal of being a world-class water management utility.”
Prior to his appointment as EPA’s inspector general, Elkins was associate general counsel in the EPA’s Office of General Counsel, chief legal officer and general counsel for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, counsel to the inspector general of the National Science Foundation, and counsel within the U.S. Department of Defense’s Office of Hearings and Appeals.
“Today, we have taken tremendous strides to raise our accountability and transparency quotient in the conduct of WSSC business through the appointment of the first-ever WSSC Inspector General,” said WSSC Commission Chair T. Eloise Foster, speaking on behalf of the WSSC Board of Commissioners.
“Mr. Elkins brings tremendous experience to this key role and will lead a dynamic team to ensure WSSC continues to operate in an open and transparent manner,” Foster continued. “With his strong background as inspector general at the EPA, I’m confident Mr. Elkins will hit the ground running and provide Commissioners with recommendations to preserve WSSC’s reputation; improve the efficiency of our programs, policies, practices and operations, and ensure public accountability.”
Prior to entering federal service, Elkins was an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Ohio Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and an assistant public defender in the Ohio Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office. His full biography can be found here.
WSSC’s OIG was recently enacted under Chapter 130, Laws of Maryland 2018 (Maryland General Assembly, House Bill 419). The inspector general, which will operate independently from WSSC management and report directly to the WSSC Board of Commissioners, is responsible for conducting, supervising and coordinating audits, investigations and reviews of the utility’s operations. Elkins’ first day at WSSC will be on Oct. 15, 2018.
