Assistant Inspector General Nina Pelletier Receives 2015 Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership
On October 22, 2015, Nina S. Pelletier, Assistant Inspector General for the Evaluation and Inspections Division, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG), was honored by the American University School of Public Affairs with the 2015 Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership. Established in 1978, the award recognizes federal career executives for their outstanding executive leadership, exceptional public service, and dedication to the work and goals of government. Two award recipients are selected each year by a committee of executives from the public and private sectors. Ms. Pelletier was nominated for the award by DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.
Ms. Pelletier began her 26-year career in public service in 1989 as an Attorney-Advisor in the Environmental Protection Agency. In April 1990, Ms. Pelletier transferred to the Constitutional and Specialized Tort Litigation Section of the DOJ’s Civil Division, where she defended federal employees who had been sued in their personal capacities for alleged constitutional violations in a wide variety of matters arising from the scope of their employment. Ms. Pelletier successfully coordinated and led the defense of sensitive and complex lawsuits against top government officials in litigation arising from significant law enforcement operations, such as the efforts to return Elian Gonzalez to his father in Cuba and the events at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas in 1993.
In 2003, Ms. Pelletier joined the DOJ OIG, where she led teams in numerous sensitive and high profile investigations. In April 2013, Ms. Pelletier became the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Evaluation and Inspections Division of the OIG, and was named Assistant Inspector General upon being appointed to the Senior Executive Service in September 2013. As the Assistant Inspector General, she leads a diverse, 36-person Division that reviews DOJ headquarters and component programs and policies, and makes recommendations to DOJ decision makers to streamline operations, reduce unnecessary regulations, improve customer service, and minimize inefficient and ineffective procedures.
Ms. Pelletier began her legal career in 1987 as a Legal Writing Instructor at the Vermont Law School. She has a Juris Doctorate from the Vermont Law School and a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 22, 2015, in the Abramson Recital Hall, Katzen Arts Center, American University. Additional information about the ceremony and the award is available on the School of Public Affairs website, www.american.edu/spa/dpap/RogerJones-Award.cfm.