Meet Cindy Byrd, CPA

Biography

Cindy Byrd, CPA, is Oklahoma’s 13th State Auditor & Inspector and the first woman elected to serve as the taxpayer’s watchdog.

A CPA with almost 25 years of government auditing experience, Cindy began her journey as an auditor in 1997.

Throughout her tenure, Cindy has moved through the ranks and conducted every type of government audit possible across Oklahoma. Her audits have identified millions of dollars in misappropriated tax dollars and waste of public funds at every level of government.

Cindy took on the role of County Audit Division Director in 2011.  Through her leadership, the Division eliminated a five-year backlog of county audits.

In 2013, Cindy was appointed Deputy State Auditor over Local Government Services and served in that capacity until her election as State Auditor in 2018.

By the end of her first term, Cindy will have published more than 1400 audits including the following which garnered statewide, legislative, even national attention:

• Oklahoma Health Care Authority – Medicaid Eligibility Audit
• EPIC Charter Schools – received the 2022 Excellence in Accountability Award for Forensic Audit by the National State Auditor’s Association
• Oklahoma State Department of Health –PPE expenditures
• OESC – Fraudulent unemployment claims

Cindy is passionate about responsible government and strongly advocates for transparency and accountability in the receipt and expenditure of public funds.  After all, it’s the people’s money and they deserve to know how it is spent.

Cindy and her husband Steve live in Coalgate located in Coal County, Oklahoma.

State Auditor Byrd serves as:

• Vice-Chair, Oklahoma State Pension Commission
• Member, State Board of Equalization
• Chair, State Board of Equalization Sub-Committee
• Commissioner, State School Land Commission

Designees named to:

• Archives and Records Commission
• College Savings Plan Board of Directors
• CompSource Board of Managers
• Tobacco Settlement Trust Fund Board of Investors
• Commission for Local Government Technology
• Small Business Linked Deposit Board

The State Auditor serves on numerous Boards and Commissions, these include:

• The Archives and Records Commission
• The Board of Directors for the College Savings Plan
• The Board of Managers for CompSource
• The Board of Investors for the Tobacco Settlement Fund
• The Commission for Local Government Technology
• The Oklahoma State Pension Commission
• The Small Business Linked Deposit Board
• The State Board of Equalization
• The State School Land Commission
• The Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum

If you’d like to schedule a meeting with Cindy please contact:

Megan Winburn
Assistant to the State Auditor
405-521-3496