Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Office of Financial Management Director

 

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Portrait of Tonya R. Johson-Simmons in front of American flag.

Mrs. Tonya R. Johnson-Simmons is currently the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of the Office of Financial Management for the Department of the Interior. She is the first woman to hold this position and is a member of the United States Chief Financial Officers Council. As the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Director of Office of Financial Management, she serves as a primary advisor to the Assistant Secretary-Policy Management and Budget and the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Budget, Finance, Grants & Acquisition). Mrs. Johnson-Simmons was appointed to the Senior Executive Service and sworn in under the Obama Administration in November 2016.

As an Executive for the Federal Government, Tonya R. Johnson-Simmons has managed financial services, accounting, auditing, and reporting operations totaling over $1.2 trillion. Mrs. Johnson-Simmons oversees financial assets of $167 billion for: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. She has been a driving force behind improved financial reporting, as well as refined methods for combating fraud. With 32 years of Federal Government experience, her expertise includes financial management, audits, reporting, implementing accountability measures, and cost accounting and budget execution. She has proven to be an expert who tackles complex and sensitive programs with confidence and efficiency. Mrs. Johnson-Simmons is a strategic scholar and coalition builder with strong leadership and managerial experience in building, developing, and motivating teams.

Mrs. Johnson-Simmons holds a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Forensic Accounting from Strayer University; Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland; a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Senior Fellows. She is also a former Norfolk State University Spartan and a native of Suffolk, VA.

As the Associate Chief Financial Officer of Financial Services, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons oversaw the Office of Personnel Management’s $1.1 trillion trust fund program and $1.2 billion revolving fund program, which encompasses the Retirement and Disability Program, Federal Employee’s Health Benefits Program, Retired Employees’ Health Benefits Program, Federal Employees Group Life Insurance and National Background Investigation Bureau.

As the ACFO, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons was instrumental in leading several key Government-wide initiatives including:

  • Established the credit monitoring funding sources for the security breach at Office of Personnel Management’s for all agencies and collaborated with the Department of Defense and contractors to ensure that official notices were received by all persons impacted by the breach and all offered identity protection for 10 years;
  • Assisted the National Background Investigation Bureau, formerly the Federal Investigative Services, with new pricing, which moved the program from a $250 million program to a $1.1 billion program; and
  • Ensured OPM maintained an unqualified opinion and remediated 22 Notice of Findings and Recommendations in 6 months.

Prior to serving as the Associate Chief Financial Officer at Office of Personnel Management, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons served as the Chief of the Financial Reporting and Analysis (FRA), where she oversaw reporting and preparation for all trust funds and revolving fund program financial statements. As the Chief of FRA, she planned and directed financial, accounting, and reporting operations of Office of Personnel Management's billion-dollar revolving fund.  Mrs.  Johnson-Simmons also managed the preparation of monthly and quarterly financial statements, material differences, current and future cash flow analysis, and oversaw key audit functions.

Prior to working for  Office of Personnel Management, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons held key positions that advanced her expertise and leadership in Federal financial management operations including:

Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Director, Financial Operations
Provided daily leadership and guidance on financial matters related to $2.2 billion in land grants.

Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Lead Staff Accountant
Managed trust funds, reimbursable agreements, 224 reconciliations, travel operations and oversight, financial statement preparations, and reconciliation supporting $40 billion in funding.

U.S. Air Force
Senior Accountant, Special Programs
Subject Matter Expert in the preparation of complex quarterly financial statements and reports consistent with the direction from the Office of Management and Budget, and the Defense Finance and Accounting Services.

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