TestimonialS

As a former member of the Board of The California Endowment (TCE) and Audit Chair of the Board, the Board discussed the value of an "Internal Auditor" for our organization.  As a multifaceted health care foundation, dealing with many complex health issues including the distribution of almost 1,000 grants a year, all of which have some level of scrutiny and compliance, the opportunity for improvement was clearly before Management and the Board.
A view shared by many, we felt the TCE Internal Auditor had to play a hybrid role of traditional internal auditor as well as a quality improvement leader.  It was not good enough to identify the areas of improvement, rather, we needed someone to work with the staff and management up through the Board to help ensure that effective improvement occurs and can be measured and accounted for.
This unique skill was found in Sam Tucker, who clearly demonstrated that she can get to the heart of the matter, work with staff to not only identify issues, but to work with them to fix problems and systems issues.  She had a way of connecting with staff in a positive and helpful way. Sam would work with staff to develop the plan, stay on task, and see it through.   As a Board member , we would regularly get updates and see the progression of work. 
In hindsight, I believe the decision to develop this role and to hire Sam Tucker was one of the best decisions made by Management and the Board.  I would recommend Sam Tucker to any organization or individual who is in need of her adept skills, experience, attention to detail and personal style that she brings to her work each and every day.

- Dean Germano, former Audit Chair and  former Chairman of the Board, The California Endowment.