Downtown
Richmond City Council appoints Foster Curtiss as inspector general
Curtiss, who has served as interim inspector general since May 2025, steps into the permanent role overseeing fraud, waste, and abuse investigations.
Richmond City Council voted January 12th, 2026, to appoint Foster Curtiss as the city’s Inspector General, formalizing a role he has held on an interim basis for several months.
The Office of Inspector General is responsible for detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse within city government, a function that has drawn increased attention in recent years amid ongoing scrutiny of municipal operations and spending. The inspector general operates independently of city agencies and reports findings to City Council.
Curtiss joined the Office of Inspector General last year as investigations manager and was named interim inspector general in May 2025. Before coming to Richmond, he spent 22 years with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, most recently as a division chief in the agency’s Office of the Inspector General. His federal career included leading sensitive workplace investigations, threat assessments, and incident response efforts.
During his tenure with NCIS, Curtiss received multiple awards, including the U.S. Department of State Superior Honor Award for Exemplary Support, Special Agent of the Year for Criminal Investigations, and three NCIS Expeditionary Medals for service in Africa and Iraq.
Curtiss holds a bachelor’s degree in justice administration from the University of Louisville and is nationally certified by the Association of Inspectors General.
City Council also acknowledged the work of the Office of Inspector General staff, emphasizing the office’s role in accountability and oversight on behalf of Richmond residents.
For more information, contact Council Public Information Manager Steve Skinner at 804-646-6052 or via email at steven.skinner@rva.gov.
