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News | Jan. 29, 2025

A legacy of DCAA service

By DCAA Staff Writer

Many connections can be found at the Defense Contract Audit Agency. Friends, colleagues, and even families are found across the regions and offices within DCAA. Among the families working at DCAA, many are spouses, some are children and parents, and one family is Julie Long’s. Julie is a Program Analyst whose family legacy spans three generations and nearly 60 years of service to DCAA.

It all began in 1965, the same year DCAA was established, when Clarence David, Julie’s late grandfather, unknowingly started a family trend and joined DCAA. After serving in the United States Navy and the Navy Reserve, Clarence transitioned to civil service. He worked his way through the agency and became a Regional Audit Manager for the Northeastern Region before retiring in Bath Maine, in 1989. Clarence wasn’t just one of the first members of his family to join DCAA, he was also among the agency’s earliest employees.

Over the decades, Clarence’s dedication to the agency and the work inspired many of his relatives to follow in his footsteps. Since her grandfather, many of Julie’s aunts, her sisters, and herself, have joined DCAA. They all began in professional support staff roles before finding their own path to civil service. One of Julie’s aunts took advantage of DCAA’s upward mobility program, a program designed to help professional support staff receive the necessary knowledge and training to transition to an auditor role.

Julie and her sister, Ann Marie Olin, grew up in the agency together, both starting at DCAA as summer-hires. Ann Marie worked part-time while furthering her education before becoming an auditor. She worked her way up to a Branch Manager position before retiring in June 2024 as the Eastern Region RSA-IT Division Chief. As for Julie, after completing her summer-hire work she joined DCAA full time after graduating from high school. While Julie obtained her associate’s degree with accounting as her specialty, she found auditing wasn’t her passion. Instead of becoming an auditor, she continued to work at DCAA in numerous administrative roles, serving the Burlington Branch, Northeastern Region, and Headquarters. As she follows her plan to retire in June 2025, she proudly looks forward to retiring with nearly 40 years of service.

Looking back on their shared time at DCAA, Julie and Ann Marie often reflect on how much the agency has evolved. Julie shares, “We talk about the seven-column paper and mechanical pencils auditors used and laugh about how administrative staff would type out audit reports on typewriters because there was only one word processor shared by the entire staff. We remember the days where we tried to read, ‘chicken scratch,’ handwriting as we typed the audit reports.” When Ann Marie retired from her 38 years of service, she reflected on the examples set by her grandfather and how they shaped her career, a sentiment shared by Julie, “I tried to model myself after those I respected and admired to be a successful leader. Nobody ever had to worry about me sugar coating anything; my direct approach was all I knew.” 

Julie and her family’s shared experiences highlight the unique culture of DCAA, where family connections inspire professional accomplishments. From Clarence joining DCAA in its inaugural year to Julie’s upcoming retirement, this family has grown alongside the agency, leaving a legacy of hard work and dedication.