OIIG Leadership

Tirrell J. Paxton
Independent Inspector General

Tirrell J. Paxton was appointed to serve as the Independent Inspector General for the Office of the Independent Inspector General of Cook County in June 2024. 

Prior to his confirmation as Inspector General, Mr. Paxton served as Deputy Inspector General of the Compliance & Program Review Division of the OIIG from January 2010 until June 2024. Mr. Paxton’s duties involved planning and conducting government investigations, program reviews, surveys, and regulatory compliance projects. Before joining the OIIG, Mr. Paxton held positions as an auditor and senior fraud investigator at Ernst & Young LLP where he performed audits, compliance reviews, internal investigations and financial and economic loss assessments for private industry. Mr. Paxton also held positions at DLA Piper Rudnick as an associate attorney concentrating in bankruptcy law. Prior to joining DLA, Mr. Paxton served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Judge Ronald Barliant of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Mr. Paxton graduated from Jackson State University with an accounting degree and received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Mr. Paxton is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). Mr. Paxton began his service with the OIIG in January 2010.

Steven E. Cyranoski 
General Counsel

Steven E. Cyranoski serves as General Counsel of the OIIG. Mr. Cyranoski provides legal advice to OIIG management and investigators and addresses all legal issues relating to office operations.

Mr. Cyranoski has practiced law for over 25 years handling litigation matters in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. Prior to joining the OIIG, Mr. Cyranoski was a partner at two private practice law firms.

Mr. Cyranoski graduated with honors from the Villanova University School of Law where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and the Moot Court Board. Mr. Cyranoski obtained his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Thomas C. Wilson
Deputy Inspector General
Investigations

Thomas C. Wilson serves as Deputy Inspector General in the OIIG’s Investigations Division. Prior to joining the OIIG in 2019, Mr. Wilson served 23 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent, Supervisory Special Agent, and acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the gang and counterterrorism programs. He was assigned to the Chicago Field Office and FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and received multiple commendations, including an FBI Director’s Award and the CIA’s Ellis Award. Before his FBI tenure, Mr. Wilson was an attorney in private practice.

Mr. Wilson is a graduate of the University of North Dakota where he received a B.A. in political science and a J.D. from the School of Law. 

Jeffrey P. Ryan
Deputy Inspector General
Compliance and Program Review

Jeffrey P. Ryan serves as the Deputy Inspector General for the OIIG’s Compliance and Program Review Division. In this role, he assists the Inspector General in promoting integrity and accountability within Cook County government by overseeing investigations, program reviews, surveys, and regulatory compliance initiatives aimed at preventing fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement.  

Prior to joining the OIIG in June 2026, Mr. Ryan served 25 years within the federal government. He began his law enforcement career in 2000 as a Uniformed Division Officer with the U.S. Secret Service, later serving with the Federal Air Marshal Service. In 2005, he joined the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General as a Special Agent. He was promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge in 2015 and to Special Agent in Charge of the Midwest Division in 2018. 

Mr. Ryan is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University where he received a B.A. in criminal justice. 

LaShunda S. Cooperwood
Assistant Inspector General
Employment Oversight

LaShunda S. Cooperwood serves as Assistant Inspector General-Employment Oversight.  Ms. Cooperwood assists the Inspector General in monitoring employment actions and providing oversight of Employment Plans for Cook County agencies.

Prior to becoming the Assistant Inspector General, Ms. Cooperwood served the OIIG as a Supervising Investigator and Investigator. Before joining the OIIG, Ms. Cooperwood was in private practice handling litigation matters. Ms. Cooperwood also served as a Cook County State’s Attorney in the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau from August 2006 until April 2019.

Ms. Cooperwood graduated cum laude from Chicago State University with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. Ms. Cooperwood is a Certified Inspector General Investigator.

Jennifer Foether
Office Manager

Jennifer Foether serves as Office Manager for the OIIG. Ms. Foether has been a member of the OIIG since 2011. Prior to joining the OIIG, Ms. Foether was a legal assistant for a private practice law firm in Michigan. 

Ms. Foether graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a B.A. in criminal justice and a master’s in business administration.