This news item expired on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Born and raised in Asheville, Trisha Burnett’s homecoming will bring an impressive portfolio of academic and professional expertise to Buncombe County as its new Internal Auditor. Earlier this month, the Board of Commissioners approved the hire based on the Audit Committee’s recommendation concluding its nationwide search. “We are fortunate to have someone of Trisha’s caliber to move into the position of Internal Auditor. There was no comparison when we looked at the other [applicants]. She is very competent,” stated Commissioner Al Whitesides who is also a member of the Audit Committee.
An Asheville native, Burnett received her undergraduate degree in Accounting from UNC Asheville and a Masters in Accounting from Western Carolina University. “I am grateful for this opportunity to return to Buncombe County and look forward to contributing my perspective and experience to the auditing processes,” says Burnett.
Burnett holds active CPA licenses in North Carolina and Oregon, as well as the international Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Fraud Examiner certifications. She spent the last four and a half years in Eugene, Oregon, serving as Chief Auditor at the University of Oregon. Prior to that, she worked with the NC Office of the State Auditor with audit responsibilities over state universities, community colleges, and clerks of superior court. She also served as the Director of Internal Audit for UNC Asheville.
As the County’s Internal Auditor, Burnett will oversee the ongoing process of evaluating County departments, programs, processes, and records to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, accuracy of data, efficient and effective uses of resources, and adequate security over County assets and records. She is slated to start her new post mid-September.