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.