Jim Christensen

Senior Investigator of the Office of County Investigations

LA County Auditor-Controller

Since June 2011, Jim has conducted criminal and administrative investigations for the Auditor-Controller’s Office of County Investigations.  Jim's investigations have covered contract fraud, procurement fraud, employee theft, check fraud, and employee & management misconduct.  Jim has made fraud presentations to the Association of County Auditors in San Bernardino, the Association of California Audit Chiefs, the Association of County Investigators (LA County), the Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (LA-ACFE), and multiple fraud awareness training presentations to County of Los Angeles supervisors and managers.  Prior to joining the County, Jim taught K-12 and Adult School for 25 years, during which time Jim taught Beginning Accounting for 13 years.  After graduation from Cal Poly Pomona, Jim worked for 2 years for the Walt Disney Corporation at Disneyland as the Cost Accountant for Splash Mountain and other capital projects before transitioning into the teaching profession. Jim serves on the Board of Directors for the LA-ACFE as the Vice-President for Membership. 

Lindsay Yoshiyama

Senior Deputy County Counsel

Office of the County Counsel

Lindsay Yoshiyama, Senior Deputy County Counsel, joined the Office of the County Counsel in 2012.  As a member of the Litigation Monitoring Team, she assists in monitoring the County's high-priority litigation and oversees the processing of lawsuits and government claims filed against the County.  Her responsibilities include providing legal guidance to various County departments, developing strategies to minimize exposure, reduce litigation costs, and protect the County's interests.  Lindsay has experience handling litigation involving tort liability, including automobile liability and dangerous condition lawsuits, and bail bond matters, including arguing before the California Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of California.  Additionally, Lindsay reviews departmental claims filed by County Counsel employees for reimbursement for damage to their personal vehicles and property under chapters 5.80 and 5.85 of the County Code.    

Michael Seward

Principal Analyst & Civil Service Advocate

Department of Human Resources

Michael Seward has served the County for nearly 22 years and is in his 20th year with the Department of Human Resources, Civil Service Advocacy Section.  He holds a B.A. in Psychology from CSU Northridge and a J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law.  Michael is a Principal Analyst and HR / Civil Service Advocate and leads a team of HR Analysts in providing consultative services and advocacy to dozens of County departments in the area of performance management.  

Michael has handled hundreds of consultations and appeals over the years, including many appearances before the County's Civil Service Commission and its hearing officers, as well as arbitrators in various matters before the County's Employee Relations Commission.  His tenure and experience in these various settings enable him to provide a unique and well-informed perspective when assisting and advising County departments in regard to their sensitive personnel matters.

Daniel Benitez

Liability Claims & Recovery

Risk Management, CEO

Daniel Benitez recently joined the CEO's Risk Management Team as a Program Specialist III after serving as a Safety Officer II for five years at the Los Angeles County Probation Department. He has over twenty years of experience in Risk Management and Occupational Health and Safety. Mr. Benitez graduated from Park University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management and served in the United States Marine Corps for eight years.

Chereise Martin

Administrative Services Manager

Civil Litigation, Risk Management

Probation Department

Chereise Martin is an innovative, results-driven, public-sector professional with excellent organizational development skills.  She has a proven ability to interact effectively with all. She is a leader with a passion and a strong desire to lead change. A 29-year Los Angeles County Probation Department veteran, she currently serves as the Litigation Manager for the Probation Department.  She is a rising star as evidenced through her career with Los Angeles County. She began her career as a youth worker for the Department of Children and Family Services in 1993, and in 2001, she transferred to the Probation Department as a Detention Services Officer assigned to Central Juvenile Hall.  Chereise was later promoted to Deputy Probation Officer I and was assigned to the Residential Treatment Services Bureau.  She was then promoted to Deputy Probation Officer II Field and assigned to the Intensive Gang Supervision program at the Crenshaw area office. In her current position, she oversees and manages the department's litigation, liability claims, and records requests.

Chereise has an extensive background and experience in organizational leadership and development. In addition to her responsibilities in the probation department, she serves as the lead consultant on organizational leadership for Prestige Professional Services, providing expert advice and professional assistance for public and non–profit organizations.

Michael Mikaelyan, CIA Principal Internal Auditor Department of Auditor- Controller Michael Mikaelyan is a Principal Internal Auditor with the Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller – Audit Division.  Michael graduated from California State University Northridge in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy.  Soon after graduating, he worked as an Accounting Associate within the Internal Control Department of property management company IMT Residential and as a part-time bookkeeper at EUXmedia, a start-up here in Los Angeles.  Michael joined the County in 2015 as an internal auditor and has taken on progressively more complex reviews in his time there, specializing in operational and program reviews.  Michael is a Certified Internal Auditor and has extensive experience in conducting the Countywide risk assessment, revamping the information-gathering framework for relevant financial and non-financial County data, and preparing the annual Audit plan.