Photo By Elizabeth Szoke | My FM&C Story showcases the experienced and diverse workforce of the Office of the...... read more read more
Robert “Steve” Silverstein is the Director of OASA (FM&C)’s Working Capital Fund. He and his team are responsible for responding to auditor requests and serving as liaisons between those auditors and Army commands, specifically U.S. Army Materiel Command.
“If we are auditable, [the Army] can sustain our nation’s warfighters, invest in research and development and contribute to the Chief Financial Officers Act,” said Silverstein. “Auditable financial statements give leadership the confidence that the financial information reported can be relied on in the development of short and long-term budgets. They also provide a snapshot of the effectiveness of funds for the warfighter.”
Silverstein said it’s important that Army works closely with auditors to understand material weaknesses, create strategies to remediate those material weaknesses and to ensure an accurate and timely financial picture that can be reported to Congress.
“We ensure the inventory measured is valued correctly so we can serve as good custodians of taxpayer dollars,” he said.
Silverstein joined OASA (FM&C) in 2021 and brings 30 years of experience from around the DoD to his current role. He earned an accounting degree before beginning his career as an auditor for the DoD Inspector General. He also earned his master’s degree while working for several consulting firms.
Silverstein explained why he rejoined the government as a civil servant for the Office of the Under Secretary (Comptroller). “I felt I had a larger runway where I could execute and maybe see the end-state of my activities in public service,” Silverstein said. “I felt more invested because I could leverage what I learned in prior activities to achieve our goals and see those actions come to fruition.”
Prior to joining OASA (FM&C), Silverstein participated in two details abroad. He served as a Senior Defense Advisor with United States Forces – Afghanistan and directly reported to the U.S. Commander. Silverstein also served in the U.S. Embassy Kyiv as a Senior Ministry of Defense Advisor with the Minister of Defense Ukraine.
Silverstein has several goals for fiscal year 2022, which include remaining responsive to findings reported by auditors and synchronizing remediation strategies to meet overall goals of auditability. He and his team are also working to coordinate financial and operational activities and to reach finality on deemed costs for real property and general equipment.
“I enjoy working for OASA (FM&C) because I feel the leadership here has given me a voice to make an impact on trying to get to our strategic goals,” Silverstein said. “I really enjoy the role that I’m in with the overall culture and leadership."
During his free time, Silverstein enjoys kayaking on the Potomac River or Chesapeake Bay. and overall solitude in nature.
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2023 16:31 |
| Story ID: | 440509 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, My FM&C Story: Steve Silverstein, by Elizabeth Szoke, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT