Inspector General Glenn Cunha

Inspector General Glenn Cunha was first appointed in 2012, but his story does not start there. After graduating from Boston College, Glenn Cunha went on to work in sales for ten years and get his MBA from Bentley University. While another person’s story may end there, Cunha decided to go to law school, his longtime dream, eventually finding success as a public defender and an Assistant District Attorney. He was motivated by his desire to help victims become survivors and find justice for the crimes committed against them. As an ADA, Cunha traversed Massachusetts, working in offices from Norfolk to Suffolk counties, from District to Superior courts. Cunha also gained experience in a number of different focus areas. After a number of years as an ADA, Cunha transitioned to white collar crime at the Attorney General’s Office, where he found a new calling in prosecution of fraud. Cunha prides himself on being the first non-politician to hold the office of Investigator General. He believes that his background in law has provided him with a more unique, apolitical perspective that lends legitimacy to the Inspector General’s Office and furthers their work to prevent the abuse of public funds.

-Meredith Zielonka WF’20

Glenn Cunha is the fourth inspector general of Massachusetts. Sworn in on August 6th 2012 for his first five year term and then reappointed on July 25th 2017 for his second and final term, Glenn is the first IG without a background in politics, but rather a lawyer and a lifelong public servant of the Commonwealth. His education includes an economics degree from Boston College, an M.B.A. from Bentley University and a JD. from Suffolk school of law. After college, Glenn went into the private sector working for a sales company that specialized in medical equipment. After graduating law school, he entered the district court system in Dorchester and Quincy, working with victims as both a prosecutor and a public defender. He then started working for the Suffolk County DA’s office as an Assistant DA, as well as  serving as an assistant DA in Norfolk county and the Deputy Chief of the Child Abuse Unit. Before becoming the IG, Glenn served in the AG’s office for eight years holding various position including, Chief of the Insurance & Unemployment Fraud Division and the Managing Attorney of the Criminal Bureau, during which he oversaw the management of eight divisions and supervised investigations and prosecutions relative to financial fraud, probation, human trafficking, fraudulently produced MBTA passes, child pornography and charity fraud. During his time as the IG he has brought the ward fellowship into the office that John William Ward (whom the Fellowship is named for) founded. One of Glenn’s biggest accomplishments as the IG has been the renovation of the anti-fraud curriculum taught by the Office. This is headed by the Regulatory and Compliance division which creates both online and in person training, classes and workshops to educate people on how to avoid, detect and report fraud of the waste and/or abuse of state funds and resources. Glenn had also served on the Brookline school committee where he lives with his wife and two kids.

-Daniel Shpigel WF’20