A Letter from the INTOSAI Journal President

Dear colleagues,

As 2025 draws to a close, I would like to convey my kind regards and gratitude to the INTOSAI community for your ongoing support of the Journal. 

I am very pleased that the Journal has maintained an upward trajectory this year—we have again achieved record increases in contributions from across INTOSAI, readership, downloads of content, and engagement via our website and social media. 

This would not be possible without the strong support of INTOSAI’s leadership and members. I am particularly grateful to the INTOSAI Governing Board, the General Secretariat, INTOSAI regions, and member countries for their steadfast confidence, guidance, and contributions. 

I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role under the leadership of Mr. Gene Dodaro, Journal Chair and Comptroller General of the United States. Mr. Dodaro’s 15-year term will conclude in December 2025 and we will all miss his leadership, vision, guidance, and strong support for INTOSAI, the Journal, and SAIs. 

I am pleased that Mr. Dodaro will offer his reflections on the Journal, INTOSAI, and his international engagement in a farewell letter that we will publish in the Q4 edition. On behalf of the Journal, its staff, and Board of Directors, we wish Mr. Dodaro and his family all the very best and thank him for the opportunity to serve under his leadership.

I am also announcing my retirement from GAO and the Journal after a wonderful and fulfilling 25+ year career in public service. It has been a great honor to serve as the Journal President and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside INTOSAI colleagues in this role.

I am very pleased with our accomplishments during my tenure, including modernizing the website, enhancing our focus on technical articles that help auditors do their work, increasing our presence on social media, and enhancing our reach through timely translation of Journal content into the 5 INTOSAI languages.

This would not have been possible without the ongoing contributions of Journal Vice President and Editor Jessica Du. Jessica has been instrumental to every success the Journal has achieved throughout my tenure and we are all privileged to work alongside her and engage with a professional of her caliber and talent. 

Similarly, the Journal’s Board of Editors, Associate Editors, and Board of Directors have played a critical role in supporting our ongoing modernization and continuous improvement efforts. 

I am especially grateful for the contributions and support of the Board of Directors and would like to thank William Anderson, Tonita Gillich, Sarah Kaczmarek and Michelle Sager for their tireless and constructive efforts to provide the strategic direction for the Journal. 

Ms Tonita Gillich, Board Secretary, deserves special recognition for her management and stewardship of the Journal’s resources. Like Jessica, Toni is a highly talented and committed professional and I am grateful for her counsel and commitment to the Journal’s mission.

Similarly, Michelle Sager deserves recognition for her contributions to the Journal and INTOSAI writ large. In addition to serving on the Journal Board, Michelle co-led development of the current INTOSAI Strategic Plan and played an instrumental role in writing the declarations for the 2019 and 2022 INTOSAI Congresses. We congratulate Michelle on her upcoming retirement, her contributions to GAO and INTOSAI, and wish her and her family all the very best.   

Finally, I am pleased to announce that GAO’s leadership of the Journal will continue seamlessly under the leadership its new President, Mr. Mark Keenan. Mark currently serves as GAO’s Assistant Director of International Relations and is familiar to many of you through his leadership of GAO’s International Auditor Fellowship Program, its International Visitor Program, and the INTOSAI-Donor Cooperation.

I am confident that Mark will enjoy great success in this role and will continue the modernization, improvement and innovation we have pursued throughout my tenure while providing a new and fresh perspective. 

In closing, I want to again express my kind regards and gratitude to the INTOSAI community. Working with this community has been the highlight of my career. I wish you, your colleagues, and your families all the very best.

With warm regards and gratitude,

Michael Hix, Journal President