The Journey That Led Me Here

A personal reflection on 17 years in federal service, family legacy, and the journey that led to founding Veritas Compliance & Analytics.

When I walked away from a 17-year career in federal service, the reason was much bigger than a career change.

For years, I thought my path was straightforward. I spent eight years with the Department of Homeland Security before joining the Drug Enforcement Administration, where I served as a Diversion Investigator and later as a Diversion Group Supervisor.

My work focused on enforcing federal controlled substance regulations, conducting criminal, administrative, and civil investigations, and helping protect the integrity of controlled substances. I was finally in a role where I no longer saw my work as just a “job”—it was my career. I loved diversion work and serving the public interest. It was my calling. Like many people in public service, I believed that would be my career until retirement.

Life, however, had other plans.

During the final months of my career, something began to change. The work I had once been passionate about was slowly being replaced by competing priorities. Time that had traditionally been spent on investigations, collaboration, and meaningful enforcement efforts was increasingly consumed by administrative demands and reporting requirements. Emails piled up, workloads shifted, and the mission that had drawn me to public service no longer felt like the same mission I had dedicated myself to for nearly a decade.

For the first time in my career, I found myself questioning whether I was still doing the work I loved or simply holding onto a title.

It wasn’t one event or one decision that led me to leave. It was the gradual realization that the career I had built was evolving into something I no longer recognized. The passion that had driven me through long hours, difficult investigations, and countless challenges was beginning to fade.

I had a choice: stay and become frustrated or leave with gratitude for the experiences I had gained and the people I had worked alongside.

I chose to leave.

Walking away from 17 years of federal service was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. Sometimes, though, the hardest decisions create space for the next chapter. Looking back, I wasn’t leaving public service behind—I was simply finding a new way to serve.

What stood out to me most as I learned more about my family’s past was the strength of the women who came before me.

Generation after generation, they found ways to create opportunities for themselves and their families. They worked hard, adapted to difficult circumstances, and in many cases became business owners. They didn’t wait for opportunities to appear—they created them. At the time, I appreciated these stories, but I didn’t fully understand why they resonated so deeply with me.

Then my maternal grandmother passed away.

Losing her was difficult, and the timing felt especially painful. Like many losses in life, it left me questioning a lot of things. As I reflected on her life, the generations that came before her, and our family history tracing back to the Fatel Razack and the line of women who were once indentured servants, something unexpected happened.

The pieces started coming together.

For years, I had spent my career helping others navigate complex regulations, identify risks, and solve problems. I genuinely enjoyed helping people understand requirements that often seemed confusing or overwhelming.

At the same time, I began to realize that the entrepreneurial spirit woven throughout my family wasn’t just something I had inherited as a story—it was something I had inherited as a calling.

What I once viewed as separate parts of my life suddenly felt connected:

My family’s journey.

My years in federal service.

My grandmother’s influence.

My passion for helping others.

They were all leading me toward the same destination.

That destination became Veritas Compliance & Analytics.

Building this company has been both exciting and humbling. It represents the culmination of everything I’ve learned throughout my career and everything I’ve come to appreciate about the generations that came before me.

The name Veritas means “truth,” and it reflects the foundation of the company. My goal is simple: to provide honest, practical compliance guidance that helps DEA registrants navigate complex regulations with confidence.

While my career in government may have ended, my commitment to public service has not. Today, I serve the healthcare community in a different way—helping organizations strengthen compliance, identify vulnerabilities, and prepare for regulatory scrutiny before problems arise.

Looking back, I realize my grandmother didn’t leave at a “crappy time.”

She left at the exact moment I needed to understand where I came from in order to fully appreciate where I was going.

For that, I will always be grateful.

-KG