GAO’s Comptroller General Inducted into the Government Hall of Fame

WASHINGTON (April 3, 2025) The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is a 2025 Government Hall of Fame inductee. Government Executive created the Government Hall of Fame in 2019 to recognize individuals who have profoundly shaped the federal government and helped serve the American people. Dodaro is one of two honorees in this year’s class. He joins a cohort of esteemed individuals honored for their unwavering dedication and excellence in public service.

“It is a great honor to be inducted to the Government Hall of Fame alongside many dedicated public servants,” said Dodaro. “Throughout my career, I have remained motivated by GAO’s mission to help the Congress improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the federal government to make it work better for the American people.”

Dodaro began his distinguished career as an auditor with GAO more than 50 years ago and is the first career civil servant to serve as Comptroller General of the United States. Throughout his 15-year term, he has successfully leveraged the agency’s resources to review spending and improve program management across the federal government. These efforts have resulted in more than $1 trillion in financial benefits to American taxpayers and an average return on investment of $133 for every $1 invested in GAO.

For example, in service of the Congress and the nation, Dodaro directed GAO’s efforts to highlight current and emerging issues that warrant attention from policymakers through GAO’s High Risk List. Since 1990, this list, updated every 2 years, has identified government programs with serious vulnerabilities to fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement, or in need of transformation. The High Risk List has yielded significant savings for the American taxpayer, totaling $759 billion so far—an average of $40 billion per year.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dodaro has remained steadfast in his commitment to responsible stewardship of GAO. He has fostered a work culture where people strive to develop, excel, and serve the American people and the Congress with trust and dedication. Under his leadership, GAO has been consistently recognized as the top mid-sized agency in the “Best Places to Work.”

“Gene is the model civil servant, and I—along with the rest of GAO—am thrilled he is being recognized as a Hall of Fame inductee,” said Orice Williams Brown, Chief Operating Officer at GAO. “His contributions to our nation throughout his career have reached every corner of the federal government, and his lasting impact still resonates as he continues to serve the Congress and the American public.”

In addition to being inducted to the Government Hall of Fame, Dodaro has earned numerous honors throughout his career, including the National Public Service Award for the American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration, Administrator of the Year Award from the Romney Institute, BYU Marriott School of Business, the John Glenn Excellence in Public Service Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arthur S. Flemming Commission and George Washington University.

For more information, contact Sarah Kaczmarek, Managing Director of GAO Public Affairs at media@gao.gov.

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The Government Accountability Office, known as the investigative arm of Congress, is an independent, nonpartisan agency that exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities. GAO also works to improve the performance of the federal government and ensure its accountability to the American people. The agency examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO provides Congress with timely information that is objective, fact-based, nonideological, fair, and balanced. GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.