David Mader, a 32-year veteran of the Internal Revenue Service, was named May 1 to replace Danny Werfel (pictured) as OMB’s chief finance officer,

David Mader, a 32-year veteran of the Internal Revenue Service, was named May 1 to replace Danny Werfel (pictured) as OMB’s chief finance officer, Charles Dharapak/AP file photo

Obama Nominee for Controller a Seasoned Fed

David Mader spent 32 years at IRS and was Distinguished Presidential Rank Award winner.

President Obama’s nominee to be controller at the Office of Management and Budget would bring more than three decades of federal experience that he is currently deploying at a private consulting firm.

David Mader, a 32-year veteran of the Internal Revenue Service named May 1 to replace Danny Werfel as OMB’s chief finance officer, is currently a senior vice president at Booz Allen Hamilton. He specializes in organizational transformation and strategy, serving clients working with the Treasury Department, OMB, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Office of Personnel Management, the General Services Administration and the Government Accountability Office, according to Booz Allen Hamilton’s website.

Werfel, having spent six months as acting Internal Revenue commissioner, moved to the Boston Consulting Group in March. In an email, he said Mader's experience made him a good fit for controller.  

"The federal controller position serves as the government's nerve center for internal controls, program integrity, the transparency of the government's finances, and driving down administrative costs across government," Werfel said. "I believe Dave Mader's track record in public sector management over a long and impressive career will enable him to help the government drive positive results in each of these areas."

Mader is a lecturer for the Change Management Advanced Practitioner program at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. During federal service, he received both the Distinguished and Meritorious Presidential Rank Award and the Treasury Secretary’s Honor Award.

In 2012, he co-wrote an essay for Government Executive promoting shared services as a way for agencies to save money.

Mader’s nomination was praised by Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which will consider the nomination. “Danny Werfel left big shoes to fill but I am very glad the president put forward a nominee with extensive public and private sector experience to help lead this important agency,” Carper said in an email statement.

Michael Fischetti, executive director of the National Contract Management Association, also expressed support for Mader. “We believe someone from the ranks, as a long-time former federal executive, that already possesses decades of relevant federal experience, yet with a fresh perspective of private sector challenges as well as leadership and management strategies, can better ‘hit the ground running,’ ” Fischetti said in an email. Such a candidate can “realize improved short- and long-term results because of their unique understanding and appreciation of federal government organizational processes, policy and especially people.”