Data, analytics driving federal financial management transformation

Mr. Mark Easton has served as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer (DCFO), in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) since May 2009. He is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/ Chief Financial Officer (CFO), as well as to Defense senior leaders, on all issues involving the amended CFO Act of 1990 and related financial management reforms. He is responsible for creating a financial framework inclusive of policy, systems, audit, and reporting, compliant with government accounting and auditing standards, federal regulations and laws, and best business practices. To do this, he ensures DoD complies with legislative and executive financial management mandates leading to the effective, efficient, and legal use of DoD resources. His portfolio includes leading the Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness campaign, a Defense enterprise-wide effort to achieve auditability of DoD’s full set of financial statements by Fiscal Year 2017, and a distinct part of the Department’s Reform Agenda. As well, Mr. Easton has oversight of the Department’s Manager’s Internal Control Program; improper payment reduction program; implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act); cost accounting initiatives; and various other business process reforms to streamline, simplify and make financial management more efficient.

Prior to becoming the DCFO, Mr. Easton was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Director for Financial Operations. In this position, he was responsible for Department of the Navy financial improvement initiatives that involved systems and processes employed by 9,000 Navy-Marine Corps financial managers. Earlier, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in January 2003, initially serving as Director, Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Cleveland, and the Senior Navy Client Executive for DFAS.

Mr. Easton retired from the Navy at the rank of captain in September 2002, following a 29-year career in the Navy Supply Corps, serving in assignments both afloat and ashore, as a logistician and financial manager. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Mark Easton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Miami University (Ohio) and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan. He has completed the Executive Development Program at the Northwestern University Kellogg Graduate School of Business and is a graduate of the National Defense University’s Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a Certified Defense Financial Manager with Acquisition Specialty and has also earned the Defense Financial Management Certification. He is the recipient of various personal awards, including the Presidential Rank Award, the DoD Medal for Distinguished Civilian Service, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and two Navy Civilian Superior Service Awards.

Tim Gribben was appointed the Chief Financial Officer and Associate Administrator of Performance Management at the Small Business Administration in November 2016. Mr. Gribben leads a staff of approximately 140 federal employees and contractors and has responsibility for all aspects of SBA’s financial management (including preparation and submission of the agency’s budget and financial statements), performance management (including program evaluation), internal controls, and acquisition. Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Gribben served as Deputy CFO for three years. As Deputy CFO, Mr. Gribben managed day-to-day operations through locations in Washington DC and Denver CO providing agency-wide services in the following: Budget, Credit Modeling, Accounting, Financial Administration & Accountability, Financial Systems, Financial Operations, and the Acquisition Division.

Mr. Gribben joined the SBA in 2009 as Director of Performance Management & Deputy Performance Improvement Officer and held that position for nearly five years. Mr. Gribben was responsible for leading SBA’s performance improvement initiatives through strategic planning, analysis, performance reviews, and accountability/performance reporting. Prior to joining SBA, Mr. Gribben was a manager at the U.S. Postal Service. In the private sector, Mr. Gribben spent over five years at a privately-held technology firm as Director of a business unit and two years with J.P. Morgan.

Mr. Gribben graduated from the College of William & Mary with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, earned an MBA from Duke University, and holds the professional designation of CPA.

Mike Wetklow is the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Division Director for Financial Management. At NSF Mike is responsible for supporting the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in executing responsibilities of the CFO Act. He is the NSF’s principal advisor and senior accountant for NSF’s financial management functions and is accountable for accounting, financial system operations and maintaining the control and disbursement of over $7 billion.

Before NSF, for four years, Mike was a Branch Chief in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) responsible for leadership, policy, and implementation of OMB efforts to initiate government-wide financial management improvements. Most significantly, while at OMB he led efforts to develop the Federal Government’s first ever guidance on Enterprise Risk Management in OMB Circular No. A-123, Management’s Responsibility for Enterprise Risk Management and Internal Control.

Prior to OMB, Mike spent eight years at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) where he had been the Department’s first Director of the Internal Control Program Management Office, leading efforts to eliminate pervasive material weaknesses and obtained the Department’s first Balance Sheet opinion in FY 2011. Prior to DHS, he held several accounting and auditing positions at KPMG, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Maryland Legislative Auditors Office.

Mike received his undergraduate degree in accounting and his graduate degree in public administration both from the University of Maryland at College Park. Mike is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Government Financial Manager.

Sam has over 20 years of experience working with a wide range of commercial and government organizations in the areas of strategy, finance, and decision analysis. Sam currently leads EY’s Advisory consulting practice serving Government & Public Sector clients. Prior to his business career, Sam served as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army where he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and Ranger Tab.

Sam’s publications include articles for the Policy Sciences journal, the International Engineering Consortium, and EY’s Performance journal; he also co-authored the book "The Bamboo Network: How Expatriate Chinese Entrepreneurs Are Creating a New Economic Superpower in Asia” which was named as a finalist in the Financial Times’ Global Business Book Awards.

Sam has a MA in Economics from Washington University. He received his Lean Six Sigma Green Belt from Johns Hopkins University, and is certified in The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF).

Jason Miller is an executive editor and reporter with Federal News Radio. As executive editor, Jason helps direct the news coverage of the station and works with reporters to ensure a broad range of coverage of federal technology, procurement, finance and human resource news.As a reporter, Jason focuses mainly on technology and procurement issues, including cybersecurity, e-government and acquisition policies and programs.