Member Spotlight
Joe Dervaes, CFE, ACFE Fellow, CIA
Joe retired after 42.5 years of federal, state, and local government audit service on July 31, 2006. At his retirement, he was the Audit Manager for Special Investigations at the Washington State Auditor's Office where he was responsible for managing the agency's Fraud Program. He specialized in employee embezzlement fraud within all state agencies (170) and local governments (2,400) in the state of Washington. He monitored all fraud audits throughout the state and participated in the investigation of over 730 cases involving losses of over $13 million during his 20-year tenure in this position.
Joe is very active in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) where he is a Life Member. In 1995, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award, the first year the award was created by ACFE. In 1999, the membership elected him to the Board of Regents, where he served as a Member for one year and as Chair for three years. In 1999, he became the first ever ACFE Fellow, which is a lifetime appointment. He became a Regent Emeritus in 2003 after completing the longest term in office of any Regent in ACFE history (4 years). In 2003, he also received the coveted Donald R. Cressey Award for his lifetime contributions to fraud detection, deterrence, and education. This is the top fraud award in the world and is similar to the Pulitzer Prize in the field of Journalism. Joe is one of four rank and file members of the ACFE that have ever been granted this prestigious award. In 2003, the ACFE appointed him as a Member of the Board of Review where he served a two year term. In 2004, the membership elected him to the ACFE Foundation Board of Directors. This is one of the highest positions any CFE may hold in the profession, and he served as Vice-Chair for six years and as Chair for one year. He completed his Board duties in 2011 after completing the longest term in office of any ACFE Foundation Board of Directors Member in ACFE history (12.5 years).
In 2007, he received the Outstanding Achievement in Community Service and Outreach Award. In 2009, he received a Superior Service Award as one of four CFEs who had attended all of the first 20 ACFE Annual Fraud Conferences and Exhibitions. In 2010, he received a Certificate of Appreciation for his long-term contributions to the ACFE’s Fraud Common Body of Knowledge as an author of a By-Line Column on “Frauds Finer Points” in Fraud Magazine, the Association's bimonthly international journal/newsletter. The ACFE has published his By-Line Column continuously for over a decade.
Joe was one of 62 CFEs whose fraud case study was published in a 2007 ACFE book entitled Fraud Casebook: Lessons from the Bad Side of Business. Joe was also one of 42 CFEs whose fraud case study was published in a companion 2009 ACFE book entitled Computer Fraud Casebook: The Bytes that Bite!
He is also the founding (1993) President of the Pacific Northwest Chapter/ACFE (Seattle area) where he is a frequent speaker at Chapter fraud seminars and conferences. He served continuously on the Chapter Board of Officers for 20.5 years, and as President for 13.5 years. The Chapter membership elected him to be President Emeritus effective July 1, 2012. The Pacific Northwest Chapter just renamed its scholarship the Joseph R. Dervaes Scholarship to honor his service.
Joe's public service and fraud educational contributions in government in the state of Washington were recognized by the Washington Finance Officers Association when it presented him with the award of an Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Association in 2006. Joe is one of only a very few of the rank and file members of this Association that have ever been granted this prestigious award.