Cheryl L. Mason - Inspector General

The Honorable Cheryl L. Mason was confirmed by the Senate as the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on July 31, 2025. She was sworn in on August 4, 2025.

Inspector General Mason leads more than 900 agents/investigators, inspectors, auditors, healthcare professionals, data analysts, attorneys, and other professionals across the nation who collaborate to carry out the OIG’s mission of conducting impactful independent oversight of VA and serve veterans and their families. Through her leadership, the OIG sets the direction for investigations to prevent and detect fraud and other criminal activity, waste, abuse, and gross mismanagement, and hold individuals responsible for their misconduct.  

Inspector General Mason and her staff are dedicated to issuing fact and evidence-driven reports with recommendations that promote efficiency and effectiveness in VA operations and programs to help VA deliver the highest-quality health care, benefits, and services to veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

Previously, Inspector General Mason had a distinguished career of dedicated federal service at the VA, Department of Defense, and Federal Labor Relations Authority, in addition to private law practice. Her accomplishments include establishing an educational program for servicemembers and their families in Germany, managing a diverse range of US Air Forces in Europe-support programs encompassing contracts, personnel, budget, and IT, and spearheading a large-scale complex legal operation as the Chairman of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (the Board). As Chairman of the Board from 2017–2022, she led a team of approximately 1,200 personnel to meet the mission of conducting hearings and deciding appeals for veterans and their families. Under her leadership, the Board reduced the number of legacy claims and appeals from more than 472,000 to 96,000, implemented the Appeals Modernization Act, championed technological innovation, and drove streamlined processes.

Inspector General Mason also served as a military spouse employment and engagement champion for the federal government and as an ambassador of the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End the National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS). Ms. Mason is also an award-winning author.

Inspector General Mason earned her bachelor of arts in political science and psychology from Ohio Northern University and a juris doctor from Creighton University School of Law. She is the spouse of a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel and daughter of a World War II US Navy veteran.