APIPA2025 - Instructor Michael

Michael Binder

Michael, Graduate School USA Instructor, is the Director of the Graduate School USA, Government Audit Training Institute. He’s served over forty-two years in federal audit staff, management and executive positions in GAO, the Inspector General community and as Acting Inspector General of the National Endowment for the Arts. As Assistant Inspector General, Deputy Chief of Staff, Senior Resource Official/CFO, and Supervisory Forensic Auditor, U.S. EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG), he directed the EPA OIG's internal risk assessment, audit follow-up, audit and investigative planning, budget development and execution, legislative analysis, program evaluation, policy review, performance measurement and financial reporting, human resources, audit peer review, procurement, quality assurance assessments, Hotline, and cost accounting program. He led EPA OIG's strategic planning and pioneered the application of logic models and SWOT Analysis for planning and performance measurement in the OIG, for EPA and the federal IG community. He created the President's Council for Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) Environmental Consortium and chaired the PCIE Government Performance and Results Act Committee.

Michael has a BBA and MBA in Finance and Economics from George Washington University and attended Harvard University, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the Federal Executive Institute. He is a Certified Internal Auditor, a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a former national officer of the Association of Government Accountants.

Michael has been an adjunct professor of management, finance, white-collar crime and auditing since 1975. He is currently a faculty member of the Graduate School USA, the University of Maryland, and a Certified Seminar Leader with Fred Pryor. He has been a guest lecturer/instructor at Salisbury University, George Mason University, University of Michigan, Florida Atlantic University, the Federal Air Marshall Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and the Council of Inspectors General Training Academy. He is a principal contributor to the development of the University of Maryland's White Collar Crime Certification curriculum. Michael Binder is the Host of the WTOP/Federal News Network weekly radio program "The Search for Accountability." He also created The Montgomery Summer Tennis Camps, published several professional articles and course texts, is a professional orchestra leader including performing at the Kennedy Center and for Presidential Inaugural Balls, and is commissioner of several adult sports leagues.

Course Listing

TRACK C

Managing positive and productive relationships throughout the audit, directing, coaching or working with members of the audit team, and dealing with auditees, organizational management and external stakeholders can be emotionally challenging and often confrontational. Auditors often must deal with difficult people in difficult situations - and must deal with the auditees! This executive seminar will examine the emotionally intelligent competencies and communication skills necessary to maintain control, and better connect with people in defusing angst and in building positive, cooperative relationships for constructive problem solving and inspired action. We will explore differences in personality types that cause misunderstandings, how to manage your own hot buttons, and how to manage difficult personality types or potentially contentious situations for positive outcomes.

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TRACK B

A high performing audit organization needs skilled, committed, and motivated staff/team members that have a strong sense of organizational purpose and self-direction. Great audit managers and leaders need to put staff in a position to succeed while constantly learning, improving and growing. This course will help managers and leaders get the most out their audit staff resources for growth, development, and performance though personal coaching, setting expectations, giving, and getting feedback. This course can be taken alone, or as progressive follow-on to other GATI management/leadership courses

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TRACK C

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) provides $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next five years mostly in grants and contracts to states and local governments for public transit, railways, power grids, electric vehicles and buses, ferries, airports, waterways, climate change, broadband internet, environmental protection, drinking water, and transformation safety. This program of fast-moving money, with untested controls, provides vast opportunities for fraud and waste. Auditors, investigators, and grants and contract managers at all levels of government will need to be especially vigilant for possible schemes and red flag indicators of fraud that robs the public of funds and performance.

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