A local official has been named to a statewide board.
Earlier this week, Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof appointed Union County Auditor Andrea Weaver to the State Audit Board.
“It’s my honor to serve on the State Audit Board,” Weaver wrote in a statement. “I look forward to using my experience to ensure accountability and transparency in state government.”
She said Obhoff, “received my name as recommended by former Speaker of the House JoAnn Davidson and Senator Dave Burke.”
The State Audit Committee is a five-member committee that assists the Governor and Director of the Office of Budget and Management (OBM). In her second term as Union County Auditor, Weaver is one of the two members appointed by the senate president.
In an e-mail, Weaver wrote “the Board seeks to ensure that state departments and agencies are operating legally and with financial accuracy and transparency.”
“Because the oversight of agency audits falls under the OBM, rather than the State Auditor, the internal audits are separate and have different oversight,” Weaver wrote. “The Committee ensures that the Office of Internal Audit has an annual internal audit plan that identifies internal audits of state agencies schedule for the next fiscal year.”
Weaver wrote that as a board member, she will participate in, “evaluating whether the internal audits directed by the Office of Internal Audit of the Office of Budget and Management conform to the Institute of Internal Auditors’ International Professional Practices framework for internal auditing and to the Institute of Internal Auditors’ code of ethics.”
Additionally, Weaver said she will be, “reviewing and commenting on the process used by the OBM to prepare the state’s comprehensive annual financial report required under division (A) (9) of section 126/21 of the Revised Code” and “reviewing and commenting on unaudited financial statements submitted to the Auditor of State and communicate with external auditors as required by government auditing standards.”
State officials said the board has “oversight responsibilities” in the areas of audit processes, financial reporting and internal controls and risk assessment. Additionally, the board works to ensure auditors’ “compliance with laws, rules and regulations.”
“Ohio residents should take a bit of comfort that the Board exists because it is comprised of professionals that do not work for the State, but who possess the knowledge and experience to effectively evaluate areas of risk management, internal controls and governance of state agencies/departments,” Weaver wrote.
The Ohio Auditor of State has honored Weaver four times with the “Ohio Auditor of State Award with Distinction”. She is also a recipient of the “Distinguished County Auditor” award from the County Auditors’ Association of Ohio.
Weaver’s first meeting on the board is set for Sept. 20.