Lisa Fine speaks with Cricket Snyder, the first Chief Compliance Officer for the Jefferson County Commission in Birmingham, Alabama, a role that was mandated by a US Federal District Court decree.

Cricket shares her experiences in shifting the compliance culture in Jefferson County from one where she was initially viewed as an extension of the monitoring to one where she overcame employee skepticism and built trust, connecting with people throughout the county.

Cricket also emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, particularly in a new, challenging role. She also reminds us of the power of being open about what you don’t know and how doing so helped foster a more transparent and collaborative environment. She also received support from the broader compliance community.

Lisa and Cricket also discuss strategies to increase engagement. Cricket introduced “Compliance Week” to Jefferson County, transforming compliance education into engaging, themed events. These have increased trust in the function among all county employees, leading to a positive culture shift.