Staff - InsuranceFraud.org

Matthew J. Smith, Esq.

Executive Director

A.D. DuVall

Deputy Executive Director

Arinze Ifekauche

Communications Director

Kendra Smith

Operations Manager

Dominic Dugo

Outreach Coordinator

Elijah Mercer

Social Media Coordinator

Carmen E. Russo

Outreach Coordinator

Executive Director

Matthew J. Smith, Esq.

Matthew is a respected anti-fraud professional. Under his leadership, the Coalition is bringing together our diverse members from all sectors of the fraud fight including consumer advocates, insurers, legislators regulators, government agencies, prosecutors, law firms and respected business partners.

Before joining the Coalition staff in 2018, Matthew founded one of the nation’s leading law firms specializing in handling of insurance fraud and bad faith cases. He previously served as our Director of Government Affairs and legal counsel. Matthew is a prolific writer and speaker who serves on many boards and committees related to fraud-fighting efforts.

Matthew graduated from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law and the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music where he studied Radio, TV & Film.

202-393-7332 | [email protected]

Deputy Executive Director

A.D. DuVall

A.D. DuVall is the Coalition’s Deputy Executive Director. She is responsible for the organization’s internal operations ranging from project management, financial oversight and business development to administration, human capital, and reporting.

Before joining the Coalition, A.D. lead the H.R. and Operations function for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing historically black colleges and universities.

A.D. also worked with the Center for Advancing Opportunity (CAO), a research-based initiative exploring the removal of barriers to opportunities in fragile communities. A.D. was responsible for the operational success of CAO, program and research delivery, ensuring seamless team management and development, and quality control.

A.D. is a SHRM Certified Professional, a certified Project Management Professional, and a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach. A.D. received her B.A. in Business Administration and Management Information Systems from the University of the District of Columbia.

202-393-7333 | [email protected]

Communications Director

Arinze Ifekauche

Arinze Ifekauche is an award-winning professional with wide-ranging experience in public policy, politics and communications. Before joining the Coalition, Arinze was Communications Director for the Maryland Democratic Party. He also worked on Capitol Hill, and was named a “2015 Rising Star” by Campaign and Elections Magazine for his work in electing Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and managing the Freddie Gray crisis.

Arinze has deep experience crafting messages centered on public policy narratives. He has coordinated communications efforts at the state, local and federal levels. He specializes in simplifying complex policy matters into accessible and useful information to stakeholders. Arinze has an undergraduate and Master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Alabama and Kent State University.

202-250-3250 | [email protected]

Operations Manager

Kendra Smith

The Coalition’s internal and member operations are overseen by Kendra. Her remarkable organizing skills help make our member meetings run smoothly and make sure our databases are kept current. Kendra is there to make sure Coalition members get fast and accurate answers to questions.

Before joining the Coalition in 2007, Kendra supported senior staff at the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, including being a liaison to the Mayor of D.C. and city council member assistants.

While at Suited for Change, Kendra coordinated more than 100 job-training programs for low-income women. She also trained volunteers — and taught interview skills.

At the Sanz School, Kendra organized career fairs and seminars, and helped students land quality jobs.

Kendra received her BA in Business Administration and AA in Criminal Justice, both from American InterContinental University in 2008.

202-393-7330 | [email protected]

Outreach Coordinator

Dominic Dugo

Dominic Dugo, retired Chief Deputy District Attorney from San Diego, California, is now an Outreach Coordinator for the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. He is also a co-chair for the Coalition’s Workers Compensation Fraud committee.

In addition to his role with the Coalition, He is currently the Vice-President, Fraud Division for the Delta Group and the National Prosecution Coordinator for the American Policyholder Association.

Dominic spent 33 years as a prosecutor in San Diego with 27 years prosecuting and then supervising the insurance fraud program. Under his leadership, San Diego has been recognized as having one of the best insurance fraud prosecutorial offices in the country.

After graduating in the top 5% of his law school class at DePaul University in Chicago, Dominic moved to California. He worked 2 years as an attorney for Justice Charles Hamlin of the California Court of Appeal. Thereafter, he joined the District Attorney’s Office.

Dominic established San Diego’s Workers’ Compensation Premium Fraud (1996) and Medical and Legal Insurance Fraud (2005) Task Forces. Both of these were the first of their kind. He also authored several articles on insurance fraud including premium fraud.

Dominic’s success resulted in several awards. In 2016, he received the “Edwin L. Miller Lifetime Achievement Award” from the San Diego District Attorney’s Association. In 2010, Llorente Investigations named him their Nationwide Insurance Fraud Prosecutor of the Year. Previously, in 1999, he was named Insurance Fraud Prosecutor of the Year by the International Association of Special Investigation Units for Southern California. Dominic also was awarded a Certificate of Recognition from the FBI and a Commanding Officer’s Citation from the San Diego Police Department.

Dominic has taught numerous classes throughout the country on how to investigate and prosecute insurance fraud including premium fraud. He also spearheaded and designed in San Diego one of the most successful anti-insurance fraud outreach programs in the country. This high-profile public campaign to deter insurance fraud included Public Service Announcements on Television, Billboards on Freeways, Anti-Fraud Posters for employers, and Ads in dozens of publications in numerous languages.

Prior to retiring from the DA’s Office in September 2019, Dominic served as Co-Chair of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud out of Washington, D.C. for 3 years.

[email protected]

Social Media Coordinator

Elijah Mercer

Elijah Mercer is a social justice advocate with a mix of research, data analytics and social media marketing skills. He is most passionate about using data analytics to drive results across multiple industries.

Elijah got his start in social media management as a human resources intern at National Public Radio (NPR). There he used social media to help boost NPR’s intern brand and recruit new interns. He also worked as a research assistant intern for the Investigative Reporting Workshop and spent two years teaching in Baltimore as part of Teach for America. In both positions, he used research and data to drive tangible research and data results for marginalized populations.

He worked in-house for the Coalition as the research associate from 2014 through 2017, while interning for United States Senator Cory Booker. Afterwards, he spent four years working for two Coalition members as a crime analyst: The New York Police Department and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. As a crime analyst, Elijah uses data to help decrease crime and violence, help attorneys understand how some prosecutorial techniques disproportionately impact communities of color and assists in high level criminal investigations. Elijah serves as the Coalition’s social media manager, and also works as a data visualization consultant.

He holds a degree in Criminology with a minor in communications studies from American University.

[email protected]

Outreach Coordinator

Carmen E. Russo

Carmen Russo joined the Coalition in 2020 as an Outreach Coordinator. He also chairs the Coalition’s Life and Disability Insurance Anti-Fraud Working Group.

Carmen retired in March, 2019 as Assistant Vice President of Investigative Services at Manulife Financial/John Hancock where he was responsible for long range strategy and management of a global network of investigators across the United States, Canada and Asia.

Previously, Carmen worked for the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, most recently as the Director of Operations and Investigative Services.

Carmen was a member of the Executive Committee of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, and a Board member of the New York Alliance Against Insurance Fraud and the Boston Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

Carmen received a B.S. in Accounting from Boston College and earned a Master’s in Public Administration degree from Suffolk University.

[email protected]