DFAS Service Day: looking to the future.

Zack Gaddy

Director Defense Finance

and Accounting Service

Edna Knight

Deputy Director

Accounting Services

Jerry Hinton

Director, Commercial Pay Services

Pat Shine

Director Military and

Civilian Pay Services

Carolyn Fortin

Site Director DFAS Kansas City

Marshal R. Gimpel

Director

People and Performance

Brigadier General Jan D. Eakle

Deputy Director

DFAS

Timothy J. Hart

Component Acquisition Executive

Nancy Zmyslinski

Site Director

DFAS Columbus

"Imagine our future!" challenged Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Director Zack Gaddy. And attendees of DFAS Service Day activities at the American Society of Military Comptrollers Professional Development Institute 2005 in Salt Lake City applauded that challenge. Throughout his presentation, Mr. Gaddy emphasized the leadership role that all DFAS employees personally must take on to ensure that they continue the transformation with the level of excellence that the Agency consistently has demonstrated.

As evidence, Mr. Gaddy pointed out that in the past year DFAS employees reduced the amount of time to deliver quarterly reports, reduced the amount of time to prepare annual reports, lowered the amount of overaged and unmatched disbursements, decreased the amount of interest paid per million disbursed, expanded the myPay customer base to 2.9 million people, and received a fifth consecutive unqualified opinion.

DFAS personnel achieved all of these accomplishments while doing more work than ever: They processed 104 million pay transactions for military members, federal employees, retirees, and annuitants; made 6.9 million travel payments; paid 12.6 million commercial invoices; and processed 127.3 million general ledger postings. In this regard, he noted, "These are great achievements, but our DFAS team has chalked up many, many more over the years. What does it prove? It shows that we are an extremely capable team that can accomplish extraordinary results by releasing the ingenuity and passion of our workforce."

Mr. Gaddy discussed the challenges the workforce would face over the coming years, including the National Security Personnel System (NSPS) and the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendations. He shared his vision on how the Agency should be seeking to conduct activities in an efficient, business-like manner, which includes providing relevant, reliable, and timely financial information to customers and supporting informed decision making throughout the Department of Defense (DoD).

He asked the more than 500 attendees to stay informed, to be opinion leaders, and to remind their people back in the office that they are valued. He noted that they will be leading the way into the future and are limited only by their imaginations. "The critical ingredient to our continued success is having the right kind of people. They are the experienced and knowledgeable professionals who understand the intricacies of our mission, have professional rapport with each other, and share a genuine understanding and concern for those we serve. Each of you fills these requirements, and I want you to come with me on this journey into the future," he said.

Following Mr. Gaddy's presentation, a panel convened to present the status of the Agency's efforts to achieve its five strategic targets. Mrs. Edna Knight, deputy director of Accounting Services, spoke about the DFAS contribution to support the DoD's efforts to achieve an unqualified opinion. Mr. Jerry Hinton, director of the Commercial Pay Services business line, discussed efforts to implement electronic commerce for all commercial pay processing. Mr. Pat Shine, director of the Military and Civilian Pay Services business line, spoke on what the pay service members are entitled to on the scheduled pay date. Ms. Carolyn Fortin, site director of DFAS Kansas City, discussed developing a corporate capability to deliver client-unique business intelligence. Mr. Marshal R. Gimpel, director of People and Performance, closed out the panel presentation with a discussion on recruiting, training, and retaining a DFAS workforce capable of developing and implementing the DFAS Strategic Plan.

DFAS Deputy Director Brigadier General Jan D. Eakle opened the afternoon session with a presentation titled "Transformation: How BRAC Fits." She discussed the status of the BRAC process and what the DFAS staff could expect in the future according to the guidelines established by the Congress. She emphasized that while change is part of the Agency's culture, the people of DFAS have always been able to stay focused on the needs of its customers and to ensure that those customers have a financial service partner dedicated to enhancing their readiness and mission capability. She closed with an impassioned reminder that it is the men and women on the front lines of this nation's fight against terrorism that expect our best, and we should be providing nothing less.

Mr. Timothy J. Harp, DFAS component acquisition executive, together with Mr. Shine, followed Brig. Gen. Eakle with a discussion on the benefits and status of implementing the Forward Compatible Payroll System. The afternoon session closed with Ms. Nancy Zmyslinski, site director of DFAS Columbus, and Mr. Gimpel, who provided an overview of the NSPS--its purpose, progress, and implementation.

Readers can learn more about DFAS at www.dod.mil/dfas.