New Orleans’ first inspector general has been making headlines across the city this fall, but Robert Cerasoli doesn’t even have a private office yet. Instead, he’s been working here on campus, tucked away in the library right under the noses of the Loyola populace.
Located in a small vacant study room of Monroe Library, Cerasoli is grateful that Loyola has offered him a place to work until the city has set his budget.
The Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., university president, is the chairman of the New Orleans Ethics Review Board. Because Cerasoli works with the Board, Wildes offered him temporary office space along with supplies until the the city approves his office and budget.
“There were others who offered (office) space,” Cerasoli said, but he decided to stay at Loyola.
Cerasoli is in charge of stopping corruption and embezzlement in city government.
“The universal challenge of the IG is to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse,” Cerasoli said.
When he arrived in New Orleans in September, Cerasoli spent three days in Marquette Hall and then relocated to the Monroe Library study room.
Until Cerasoli’s budget is set, he will be working here. His future office will be Downtown in a federal building.
When he does have his own office, it will have a 24-hour guard as well as the ability to secure any evidence of corruption he might uncover on city officials.
Cerasoli is trying to get things set up, but he said that it’s a “big task.”
Cerasoli realized after he became inspector general in June that the job would be much harder than expected, though he said he was excited to be in this position in New Orleans.
He gained experience by working as an inspector general in Massachusetts. He also co-founded the Association of Inspector Generals and has taught at four different colleges.
Orignally, Cerasoli wasn’t going to apply for the New Orleans position, but he was convinced by the strong encouragement of the AIG’s president.
After a member of Cerasoli’s family died, breaking his ties to Massachusetts, he decided to submit a resume and came to New Orleans for an interview.
He said he hasn’t attended any classes here at Loyola, but he feels that the campus is “awesome.”
Cerasoli asked The Shawn M. Donnelly Center for Nonprofit Communications here on campus to design a logo for his office.
“I gave them the information, and they agreed to help,” Cerasoli said.
Wildes has inquired about internships with Cerasoli; however, the university president said that his budget must be set before he makes other commitments.
“So we will sort things once we have a better sense of his budget and get the office set up,” Wildes said.
Rachel Funel can be reached at
