Mr. Petersen is the Director of Quality Assurance for the National Aeronautics and Space (NASA). Mr. Petersen is responsible for the Agency’s Enterprise Risk Management execution and is responsible for ensuring that sound financial management practices are being followed and that internal controls over financial and management activities are in place and operating effectively. Mr. Petersen was instrumental in NASA earning an unmodified opinion in each of the last seven years.
Prior to Joining NASA, Mr. Petersen was the Director of the A-123 Appendix-A implementation at the U.S. Department of Education. Mr. Petersen was responsible for developing and implementing internal controls, maintaining fiscal integrity, ensuring adherence to sound financial management practices and validating internal controls over financial reporting. Mr. Petersen’s effort led to the Department of Education issuing an unqualified Statement of Assurance for FY 2006. As Financial Statement Committee Chair, Mr. Petersen was instrumental in the Department receiving four consecutive unqualified (clean) audit opinions (FY 2002, FY 2003, FY 2004 & FY 2005). In addition, he made a significant contribution to the Department becoming the first Cabinet level Agency to receive a Green on the President’s Score Card for Financial Management.
Prior to joining the Department of Education in 2001, Mr. Petersen worked in the private sector for over twenty years at several Certified Public Accounting and Management Consulting firms. Mr. Petersen specialized in financial management consulting with the Federal Government that led to significant experience in many facets of the accounting and management-consulting arena. This includes significant experience performing compliance reviews, leading special projects and conducting evaluations focused on program structure and underlying internal controls.
Mr. Petersen is a Certified Government Financial Manager and holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University. He also holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Accounting.