Thomas Harker, assistant Navy secretary for financial management and comptroller, has been named acting comptroller at the Department of Defense (DoD), the agency reported on Friday.
Jonathan Hoffman, a spokesman for DoD, announced Harker’s appointment in a tweet posted Friday. The move came a week after Elaine McCusker, acting DoD comptroller, stepped down from the post.
Harker will retain his role at the Navy and serve in the DoD post until the president names a new nominee to serve as permanent comptroller at the Pentagon. Throughout his career he gained increasing responsibility in budget, acquisition, internal controls, audit readiness and financial reporting.
Harker spent two decades in the U.S. Coast Guard. His government career included financial management roles at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
His leadership of the Coast Guard audit readiness and internal control program contributed to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moving from 10 successive disclaimers to a clean audit opinion. With OMB, Harker led the Campaign to Cut Waste, updated OMB Circular A-136 and drafted government-wide financial policy.
