Leadership

Stuart W. Bowen, Jr., Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction

Stuart W. Bowen, Jr. was appointed Inspector General for the Coalition Provisional Authority in January 2004, and, since October 2004, he has served as the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. As the “taxpayer’s watchdog” in Iraq, Mr. Bowen oversees more than $63 billion in U.S. funds, including the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund, the Iraq Security Forces Fund, the Economic Support Fund, the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement funding, and the Commander’s Emergency Response Program.

Over the past 7 years, Mr. Bowen has made 30 trips to Iraq, managed the production of 364 audits and inspections, issued 5 comprehensive lessons learned reports, and provided 30 quarterly reports on Iraq reconstruction to the Congress. His oversight work has produced financial benefits to the U.S. Government in excess of $1.1 billion and has yielded 56 convictions for fraud and other crimes. In 2006, the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency awarded Inspector General Bowen the Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award for “demonstrating integrity, determination, and courage” in providing independent oversight and unbiased review of U. S. reconstruction efforts in Iraq. And in May 2010, the National Intergovernmental Audit Forum presented him with its David M. Walker Excellence in Federal Government Performance and Accountability Award for outstanding oversight work.

Inspector General Bowen’s public service career includes service to President George W. Bush as Deputy Assistant to the President, Deputy Staff Secretary, Special Assistant to the President, and Associate Counsel. From 1994 to 2000, he held a variety of positions on Governor Bush's staff in Texas, including Deputy General Counsel. Prior to that, Mr. Bowen served as an Assistant Attorney General of Texas and as Briefing Attorney to Texas Supreme Court Justice Raul Gonzalez. Mr. Bowen is a military veteran, having served four years on active duty as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force, earning the rank of Captain and the Air Force Commendation Medal.

Licensed by the Texas State Bar, Mr. Bowen is Board Certified in Administrative Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and all Texas state courts. He holds a B.A. from the University of the South and a J.D. from St. Mary's Law School, where he served on the Law Journal’s Editorial Board.