Ashley Obando is the Acting Chief of Staff for USAID OIG. In this role, she leads the Office of the Chief of Staff comprised of four divisions: (1) Strategic Communications; (2) Organizational Development; (3) Process Improvement; and (4) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA). These offices work collaboratively to support the USAID OIG mission and workforce by strategically communicating OIG’s work, providing training and development support to staff, advancing DEIA, and driving a culture of continuous improvement and data-driven decision making.
Ms. Obando joined OIG in August 2020, working in the Office of General Counsel as senior counsel. In that role, Ms. Obando provided legal advice and guidance on personnel and policy matters and represented OIG in litigation before the EEOC, Foreign Service Grievance Board, Merit Systems Protection Board, and Office of Special Counsel. She also reviewed audits and provided legal guidance on the IG Act and other governing laws and regulations.
Prior to that role, Ms. Obando worked at the Small Business Administration specializing in employment and labor relations law, and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel where she investigated allegations of prohibited personnel practices.
Ms. Obando has a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of North Texas where she graduated magna cum laude and was the campus coordinator for Habitat for Humanity. She received a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, before being selected as a Presidential Management Fellow. Ms. Obando is a member of the Texas State Bar and practiced criminal defense law in the Fort Worth metro area prior to joining the government.