Fort Belvoir, Va. –
DCAA’s Central Regional Director, Mr. David Johnson, was announced as a Presidential Meritorious Executive award recipient under the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Secretary of Defense for the 2023 fiscal year (FY). This award recognizes distinguished and sustained accomplishments to an exclusive number of the Senior Executive Service (SES) for the fiscal year.
Mr. Johnson began his career with DCAA in 1991 as an auditor trainee in Southern California. From there he served in various positions as an auditor, supervisory auditor, and as the Assistant Director for the Policy and Plans, Accounting and Cost Principles Division in 2004. Mr. Johnson joined Senior Executive Services (SES) In April 2011 as the DCAA Deputy Regional Director for the Western Region before becoming the Eastern Region Director in 2013. As of March 2020, he currently serves as the Regional Director for Central Region.
Mr. Johnson is an inspiring and insightful leader who champions creative thinking and problem-solving to empower employees to drive change. Across various regions and roles, his leadership sets the standard for supporting emerging acquisition issues. Notably, from 2021 to 2022, his region’s audits saved over $750 million, addressing critical acquisitions like Operation Allies Welcome, Operation Warp Speed, Border Wall terminations, and resolved a 40-year-old $142 million workers’ compensation issue with a Navy Shipbuilder.
Demonstrating versatility, Mr. Johnson elevated strategic measures to over 93% in both the Central and Eastern Region. His support and leadership go beyond the geographical region where he lives. Mr. Johnson supported audits with European and Middle Eastern offices that achieved exceptional results in critical acquisitions such as the Joint Strike Fighter. With exceptional understanding of the customer and auditor side of work, Mr. Johnson recognized the need to revamp the primary audit software. As a result, he started and led the initiative to implement a new electronic audit software in 2017. This software is still used and highly regarded today.
Beyond DCAA leadership, Mr. Johnson supported the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA), prioritizing audits for impactful results. Mr. Johnson identified an audit prioritization system that helped DCMA exceeded their auditing goals. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Johnson successfully maintained and implemented open lines of communication and collaboration tools. The workforce positively responded to these engagement strategies, reflected in the record high 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey rating with similar marks in the 2022 survey results.
Known for exceptional leadership, Mr. Johnson’s career is defined by forming coalitions with stakeholders, receiving numerous awards for excellent performance. His ability to address challenges and capitalize on opportunities has consistently bettered the agency, employees, and fellow leaders with long-term improvements.