Irma P. Finocchiaro G’91, now retired from senior executive service as the deputy chief of staff, G-8 (comptroller) for the U.S. Army Europe headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany, has been named director of defense programs at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Her appointment is effective Nov. 1. Finocchiaro succeeds retired Col. David B. Berg, who served as assistant dean, executive education/defense programs, from Oct. 1995 until Oct. 2011.
In her role with the U.S. Army, Finocchiaro was responsible for the management of approximately $1.8 billion in annual funds, as well as other responsibilities for civilian manpower management and international agreements. Selected to the senior executive service in March 2004, she previously served as associate director for financial and business operations for the Department of Defense Education Activity in Arlington, Va.
Her career includes positions overseeing budget analysis, operations, personnel and resource management in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense; at the U.S. Army South Headquarters at Fort Clayton, Panama; at the U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test Center at Fort Rucker, Ala.; and at the Directorate of Industrial Operations for the 193rd Infantry Brigade (Canal Zone), Panama.
Finocchiaro received a master’s degree in national resource strategy from the National Defense University, an MBA from Whitman and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from The Catholic University of America. She holds significant training through the Army Comptrollership Program at Whitman, the Industrial College of the Armed Forces and studied leadership for a democratic society at the Federal Executive Institute. She is a certified defense financial manager, a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and an honorary member of the Finance Regiment.
Her awards and honors include the 2011 Latina Style Meritorious Achievement Award, the 2010 Presidential Rank Award, the 2008 Leonard F. Keenan Award for Distinguished Service from the Whitman School/SU, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, two Commander’s Awards for Civilian Service, the Office of the Secretary of Defense Superior Accomplishment Award, two Meritorious Civilian Service Awards, the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service and the Test and Evaluation Command Professional Award.
“I am looking forward to joining the team at the Whitman School of Management. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to share my many years in Army financial management with our future military and civilian financial management leaders,” says Finocchiaro.
“As a graduate of the Army Comptrollership program–Whitman’s MBA program for commissioned officers and professional civilians of the Department of Defense–Irma brings vast professional experience to her new appointment. I know that our students, and graduates, are eager for her arrival,” says Berg.
“I am excited to welcome Irma to the Whitman family, and look forward to the breadth of expertise she brings to us through her many years of experience in the U.S. Army,” says Whitman School Dean Melvin T. Stith. “On behalf of the entire Whitman community, I also thank Dave for his years of hard work, service and commitment to shaping our school’s executive education and defense programs into what they are today. We wish him well in retirement.”
The Office of Defense Programs at the Whitman School administers the Defense Comptrollership Program, the Army Comptrollership Course, the Senior Resource Managers Course, the Executive Comptroller Course, the LOGTECH M.S. in Supply Chain Management and the Army Financial Management 101 Course. Through these programs, financial managers learn essential skills to assist the Department of Defense in making hard resource decisions for a more efficient and effective organization. Whitman has been actively involved in the education and training of military managers since 1947. With the establishment of the Defense Comptrollership Program in 1952, the school has been particularly active in the field of military resource management. Since 1972, it has sponsored professional development offerings with emphasis on the management of resources, and has also conducted special studies dealing with military resource management.
Finocchiaro’ s predecessor, Col. Berg, retired from the Army in Oct. 1995 and accepted a position at Whitman as director of Army programs. His duties included serving as director of the Defense Comptrollership Program, director of the Professional Resource Management Course and director of the Army Comptroller Course. He was named director of executive education, and later assistant dean, executive education/defense programs. Berg also served as chairman of Whitman’s building committee from 2000-2011.