Fort Belvoir, VA –
When Trish Lee first joined DCAA, auditing was a highly manual, paper-intensive process. Assigned to a suboffice at Litton Corporation, she and her team of seven auditors worked at heavy metal desks, relying on stacks of green accounting columnar paper while using black and red pencils. The entire office shared just two computers without internet access; they were used strictly for writing reports. A single audit package would fill multiple large binders.
Today, as a Division Chief in San Diego, CA, she marvels at the technological leaps that have transformed the profession. From the introduction of individual desktop computers to the internet, and now data analytics and AI, Lee has embraced every advancement. She recognized early on that adopting new technology was the key to conducting efficient audits and moving swiftly to the next mission-critical project.
Lee was originally drawn to the federal government by a desire to be part of "something big," combining her college passions for auditing and cost accounting. Over nearly four decades, she has never found herself wishing she worked elsewhere.
Her willingness to embrace new challenges transformed a standard auditing job into a global adventure. Lee’s career path took her to the European Branch, where she traveled across Europe, Asia, and Africa conducting unique audits. As she advanced, she navigated through numerous leadership roles, including supervisor, manager, Quality Chief, and now working within Human Capital and Resource Management (HCRM).
Her core advice to the personnel she mentors is to take every opportunity, even the ones nobody else wants. Taking those chances, she notes, consistently opens doors to future advancements and unexpected learning experiences.
While Lee spent the majority of her career directly supporting the warfighter by auditing contractors who built radar warning devices and unmanned aircraft, her current focus is on supporting DCAA's internal workforce. As a Division Chief overseeing publications and records management, she ensures all DCAA employees have the precise instructions and maintained records they need to execute their missions effectively.
When asked to describe DCAA’s culture in three words, Lee chose, "Together is better." As the nation approaches its 250th birthday, she defines public service simply as doing something not just for oneself, but for the greater good.
Looking back on DCAA's long history and her own robust career, Lee is most proud of her role in developing talented, hard-working employees. The incredible men and women who put public service ahead of personal gain to support the Department of War are what make her legacy truly meaningful.