Bryan Zarou, the Better Government Association’s vice president of policy, has been appointed to serve on the City of Chicago’s Inspector General Search Committee.

The Inspector General is one of the most vital positions in city government, an independent oversight and accountability office, often described as the city’s “watchdog.” The city’s IG is responsible for preventing and exposing waste, fraud, and abuse, and ensuring integrity and transparency across government operations. The integrity and effectiveness of this office are essential to maintaining accountability and transparency across city government.

The five-member search committee will play a critical role in shaping the future of this office. Under the city’s selection process, three members are chosen by the Mayor, and two are appointed by the Chair of the City Council’s Ethics and Government Oversight Committee, Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward). Zarou was appointed by Ald. Martin.

David Greising, president and CEO of the BGA, lauded the appointment. “Bryan Zarou has demonstrated a commitment to strengthening the office of the inspector general–the city’s most important oversight role. The people of Chicago will benefit from having Bryan and others guarding their interests and identifying the strongest possible candidate for this role.” 

Current city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg has announced she will step down as IG in April of 2026. Witzburg began her term in April of 2022–six months after her predecessor Joe Ferguson had left the office. A BGA-backed reform passed by City Council in 2023 requires the mayor to kickstart the appointment process with enforced deadlines.

The appointment of Zarou to the search committee reflects the BGA’s continued leadership in promoting reform and transparency in Chicago. As the BGA’s policy lead, Bryan and his team have helped expand the Inspector General’s independence, and successfully advocated for term limits for city inspectors general.  

This moment also underscores the impact of the BGA’s reform work. The reforms to the  independent search committee were created to ensure a transparent process and was a direct outcome of BGA’s advocacy for greater independence in the Inspector General’s office.

“As the committee begins its work, we at the BGA remain committed to ensuring that the process produces highly qualified, independent candidates for the Mayor’s consideration, and ultimately, for the benefit of all Chicagoans,” Zarou said.