Joyce Willoughby Named as EEOC’s New Inspector General

WASHINGTON – Joyce Willoughby will be the new inspector general of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), effective March 13, the federal agency announced today.

Willoughby joined the EEOC in August 1984 and served a total of nine years in the agency’s Office of Federal Operations, three years as a general attorney, and six years as a supervisory general attorney in the Appeals Division. She moved to EEOC’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) in March 1993 and served as counsel to the inspector general for 16 years. From January 2010 to July 2022, Willoughby served as the acting deputy inspector general. She has been serving as the acting inspector general since July 2022.

Prior to joining the EEOC, she was employed as a general attorney in the Office of Appeals Counsel at the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Willoughby has received numerous awards for outstanding performance from the EEOC and the former Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency. A long-term member of the Association of Inspectors General, Willoughby has frequently represented the EEOC at activities of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE).

Willoughby earned a B.A. in urban and metropolitan studies from Michigan State University and a juris doctor from Howard University School of Law. She is also a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the American University Key Leadership Program.

“Joyce Willoughby brings to this important role unquestionable integrity and deep experience within both the EEOC and the inspector general community,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “Her leadership and commitment to excellence will serve the institution well.”

Willoughby said, “As inspector general I plan to work strategically with the EEOC senior leadership to assist in the identification of innovative approaches and methods to help enhance the agency’s program and operational effectiveness and efficiency. Through our audit, evaluation and investigative work, our office will assist the EEOC in achieving its mission to prevent and remedy unlawful employment discrimination and advance equal opportunity for all in the workplace.”

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.