Scioto County native named VA Inspector General

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — The Department of Veterans Affairs has a new inspector general.

Cheryl L. Mason was sworn in Monday after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 31, according to a VA news release. Mason, a native of Portsmouth, Ohio, has dedicated much of her career to serving veterans and active military.

Mason grew up the daughter of a WWII veteran and is married to a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Prior to becoming the VA’s IG, Mason worked as an attorney in private practice as well as at the VA and Department of Defense.

Mason established an educational program for servicemembers and their families in Germany and spearheaded a large-scale complex legal operation as the Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. Serving as Chairman of the Board from 2017-2022, she led a team of approximately 1,200 personnel who conducted hearings and decided appeals for veterans and their families.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and psychology from Ohio
Northern University and a juris doctor from Creighton University School of Law.

As inspector general, Mason sets the direction for initiatives to prevent and
detect fraud, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement at the VA, the release said.

The Inspector General Act of 1978 established a statutory inspector general for the VA. The inspector general has authority to inquire into all VA programs and activities as well as the related activities of people or entities performing under grants, contracts or other agreements. In addition, the Veterans’ Benefits and Services Act of 1988 charged the OIG with oversight of the quality of VA healthcare, the release stated.