Celia Mendes is Technical Director for Bankruptcy & Overpayments within the Innovation & Financial Management Group of the Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement. Celia has served in this role since 2010 where she provides guidance on bankruptcy and debt recovery including operational management, goals, objectives and work processes.

Celia joined CMS in January 2001. Most recently, she served as Acting Deputy Group Director for Philadelphia-Atlanta's Innovation & Financial Management Group. In this role, she supported the administration of Medicare's financial management, traditional and innovation programs to protect beneficiaries, inform providers, and ensure the program's fiscal integrity. Celia's career includes details as Branch Manager for Program Integrity in Philadelphia as well as Beneficiary Services during the agency's implementation of the prescription drug benefit. Celia participated in the first transition of work to the MAC environment as well as first MAC implementation of HIGLAS, Medicare's fully integrated accounting system. During her career, she has had the privilege to participate in many of the agency's initiatives and priorities driving innovation in FOIA, specialty contracting for Medicare Secondary Payer, and most recently Robotic Process Automation.

Prior to arriving at CMS, Celia worked as an Auditor for the Office of Inspector General of Health and Human Services and in public accounting in an auditing and consulting capacity to health care providers.

Celia received a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in Accounting from Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also a Certified Public Accountant, and is the recipient of numerous Administrator Achievement Awards for her work.