DCAA’s Joel Lehman, manager of the Pittsburg Branch Office, was recently named the Department of Defense Auditor of the year, and he is DCAA’s Audit Manager of the Year. In her remarks during the virtual awards ceremony, the Honorable Ellen Lord, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, stated in part, “Mr. Lehman managed and provided technical guidance to his staff which resulted in over $68 million in savings…. He routinely fosters a motivated workforce, enhancing relationships with stakeholders and providing the workforce with the right capabilities. His efforts as manager and in developing our current and future leaders will benefit the Agency and the Department for many years.”
Mr. Lehman's technical audit and leadership skills are evident in the performance of the Pittsburg Branch Office, which exceeded its goals for audits and more than met the needs of its customers. In achieving the office’s audit goals, Mr. Lehman capitalized on the strengths of his auditors and used innovative approaches to successfully manage and complete an impressive workload. He is a true believer in developing his staff by mentoring and training and instituted a program whereby a new auditor is paired with a seasoned auditor to improve performance. Also focused on the customers, he strengthened communications by instituting monthly meetings to discuss audit status and concerns on both sides to be sure audits meet the needs of the customer.
The entire award ceremony can be viewed here. The award presentation to Mr. Lehman is at approximately nine minutes into the ceremony.