Prior to her confirmation, Member Wagner served as the Associate Special Counsel with the Office of Special Counsel from 2015-2024.  Previously, she served as Vice Chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) after being nominated for that position by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2009. 

Ms. Wagner has served as General Counsel of the Personnel Appeals Board of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) where she had previously sat as a Board Member upon appointment by the U.S. Comptroller General. She began her career as a staff attorney with the General Services Administration, after which she went on to become an Assistant General Counsel for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). In her nearly 20 years with AFGE, she led precedent-setting litigation and handled cases arising under the full array of laws governing Federal employment.

Member Wagner graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received her Juris Doctor from George Washington University.