Wayne Garris joined the Office of Inspector General in 2021 as an Assistant Inspector General. He has served as Chief Assistant Inspector General since November 2022. Previously, Garris served as an Employment Law Analyst with Wolters Kluwer Legal and Regulatory U,S. Prior to that, he served as an Attorney with the Illinois Human Rights Commission, where he reviewed employment and public accommodation discrimination complaints. Garris practiced law in public service for several years in in Washington, DC and Detroit, Michigan, before arriving to Chicago.

Garris earned a BA in Political Science from Morehouse College, a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, and an MA from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.