Born: June 19, 1955
Village: Fogagogo
College: Cleveland State University, 1994 BSBA Accounting; Certified Public Accountant 1998
Experience: Chief Deputy Auditor, Erie County Auditor’s Office; Instructor, Ohio Business College; Staff auditor/accountant for Smith, Payne, Hammersmith CPAs; police officer/supervisor, Cedar Fair Limited Partnership (Cedar Point)
Affiliations: Member, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants; Associate Member, Certified Fraud Examiners.
Hobbies: travel and baseball
Children: Lauren, 15, and Nicholas, 11.
ASG Comptroller Brian K. Mix arrived in the territory in October 2006 and is currently working under contract with the American Samoa Government.
He works hand in hand with ASG Treasurer Velega Savali in the Treasury Department which controls the territory’s finances.
When asked to describe, in one word, the territory’s current financial state, Mix replied, “deplorable.” He added, “It could be better. Much better!”
He explained that the Treasury Department is trying its best to control spending by implementing methods to curb fraud, waste, and abuse, in addition to enforcing solid internal controls and ensuring that operations are in accordance with current federal and local rules and laws.
Recently, the Treasury Department began taking steps to ensure that payments drawn out of ASG accounts are legit. This has resulted in some big payments being stopped, denied, or referred back for a sound explanation.
In the short time he’s been here, Mix has been criticized by some government leaders whose financial transactions, which vary from travel reimbursements to questionable contract payments, have been questioned or denied for payment.
But aside from the few enemies he’s made, Mix said his experience in American Samoa so far has been a good one, as “the island is beautiful and the people are quite friendly.” |
