Fort Belvoir, Va. –
Former DCAA Director Anita Bales passed away Jan. 22, 2024, after a year-long illness. Ms. Bales served DCAA with unparalleled dedication and leadership for over 11 years, serving in both the Director and the Deputy Director position before retiring from DCAA on Jan. 28, 2022.
Ms. Bales started as an auditor in the U.S. Army Audit Agency working in various auditing and leadership roles. She always demonstrated exceptional expertise and adaptability to succeed in each role, no matter where they were located. Working all over the world, her career took her to Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, New York, and overseas to Germany.
Ms. Bales became the Director of DCAA 2014 and managed the worldwide operation of DCAA with a keen sense of responsibility. Her impact on the agency’s mission and comprehensive program implementation is immeasurable. She led the reorganization of DCAA and successfully eliminated the Incurred Cost Audit backlog a year ahead of schedule. A testament to her visionary leadership is the successful establishment of the Director’s Development Program in Leadership in 2017. This program continues to flourish, inspire, and prepare senior-level professionals for critical leadership roles in the federal government. Her legacy not only includes her impressive professional achievements but also her focus on communication, workforce development, and increasing effectiveness and efficiency.
Ms. Bales was well distinguished and received numerous prestigious awards recognizing her work and leadership. She received the Presidential Rank Awards (PRA) Meritorious in 2017 and was nominated for the PRA Distinguished award in 2021. In 2022, she was nominated for the Sammies Award and received both the Superior Accomplishment Award and the DoD Distinguished Civilian Service Award.