Program Integrity by Design

I spent nearly five years at the U.S. Small Business Administration reviewing 7(a) and PPP files after funds had already disbursed. My job was to determine whether the borrower had been eligible in the first place. I write about what that work revealed, and why eligibility and verification belong in program design instead of after-the-fact review. My work has appeared in The Hill, Government Executive, and Federal News Network.

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Op-Ed Publications

Published commentary on program integrity, government accountability, emergency lending, and program design.

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Policy Analyses

Long-form analysis of legislation, federal programs, implementation, controls, and the gap between policy design and practice.

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Essays

Personal writing on public life, civic culture, loss, unity, and the issues that make me stop and think.

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Featured Work

Editorial graphic for “Anti-Fraud Bills Target Payments,” illustrating the program design layer with a building foundation under construction.

Originally published in Federal News Network | June 26, 2026
Federal anti-fraud measures strengthen payment screening, but a critical gap remains: program-specific eligibility proof before public money moves or federal exposure attaches.

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Illustration of federal loan records and investigative review representing the work required after Operation NO DOZE identifies suspicious loans.

Practitioner Perspective | October 5, 2026
Identifying suspicious loans is only the beginning. Operation NO DOZE will also need people who can reconstruct eligibility, affiliation, size, forgiveness, and what the borrower record actually supports.

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