Her Story
About Val
Valencia Harkless is a neo-soul musician who dabbles in jazz and has recently completed her largest project, Moon Child, a 17-track album featuring soul, R and B, and jazz elements, including her first classical jazz track. By day, she serves as a government fraud analyst with a career spanning over 20 years, handling cases from mortgage fraud to public corruption as a subject matter expert in a program within the U.S. Department of Justice focused on the seizure and forfeiture of ill-gotten gains. She majored in criminal justice after being inspired by America's Most Wanted and began her path in compliance at a brokerage firm before becoming a government contractor. Harkless attributes her professional drive to her long-standing role as a trained victim advocate and her passion for recovering funds for victims and achieving just judicial outcomes in cases. At a senior level, she finds fulfillment in teaching the next generation of investigators and collaborating with a network of passionate colleagues. In high school, she won awards for writing poetry to love songs, a creative pursuit that has evolved into her musical career.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Val
01What do you attribute your success to?
The will to help people. I became a victim advocate a long time ago. Recovering people's money and helping people is just part of my personality. I'm driven by justice and coming to a good judicial adjudication for cases involving victims. Now at a senior level, helping or teaching the next generation of investigators keeps me going, along with a network of passionate colleagues.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Take care of yourself. Don't care what anybody says or thinks. Deprogram ourselves as Americans from working ourselves to death. You only have one body and one life.
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