David Whitsell

David Whitsell was appointed the Chief of the Internal Audits Office on October 2, 2017. Whitsell initially joined DWR as a Senior Management Auditor in 2005. In 2008, he left DWR for a Chief Auditor position with the California Department of Public Health. He returned to DWR’s Internal Audits Office in 2012, where he has been in charge of special investigations and complex audit assignments. Throughout his career, he has worked as an auditor for the Department of Social Services, the Employment Development Department, and the Department of Insurance. Whitsell has also been a program manager at the Department of Health Services overseeing $1.8 billion in funding for hospitals that treat indigent patients.

As Chief, Whitsell provides management consultation and recommendations to the Directorate, particularly in areas of internal controls and risk management, and will have responsibility for planning, coordinating, and managing the activities of the Internal Audits Office.

Whitsell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the California State University, Sacramento.