Director, Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)
Biography
Ms. Calandra Layne is the Director, Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR), in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) (OUSD(C)), Department of Defense (DoD).
Ms. Layne’s government service began in September 2019, as a member of the OUSD(C) FIAR. A champion for financial excellence, her current job is to challenge, then elevate, the status quo by driving transformational change across programs, processes, people, and technology. She is responsible for leading the planning and execution of the Department’s financial statement audit remediation strategy; developing and issuing financial improvement guidance; and improving the quality of financial information through robust internal control programs that achieve post-audit sustainment. Her work directly impacts and optimizes datadriven decision making, stronger resource management and capacity building, and strengthened mission readiness for the Military Departments, Defense Agencies, and Defense Field Activities.
Prior to her 2021 appointment to the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Layne supported OUSD(C) as the Department-Wide Consolidated Audit Liaison and program manager for the DoD Risk Management and Internal Controls Program, spearheading efforts to develop and publish DoD’s first fraud risk management strategy.
Before joining OUSD(C) FIAR, Ms. Layne supported the federal government as an internal auditor and management consultant with a major accounting firm, providing strategic direction and technical solutions for audit remediation, business process transformation and automation, internal controls, enterprise risk management, and policy and procedures development. Her clients included the Department of Defense, Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Fiscal Service, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Transportation, and the National Science Foundation.
Ms. Layne is the vice chairperson of the Association of Government Accountants Council for the Advancement of Women. She is a passionate advocate for gender diversity; measuring diversity, equity, and inclusion progress; and creating strategic action plans to enhance the leadership pipeline of minority talent. Her steadfast commitment to these causes, both in the workplace and in her local community, has led her to forge numerous partnerships that have built bridges to connect people and strengthen communities through acceptance, respect, and inclusion of all people. In November 2022, the Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County awarded Ms. Layne the Carrol H. Hynson, Jr. Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Philanthropy.
Ms. Layne is a Certified Defense Financial Manager and a certified Project Management professional. A graduate of George Mason University, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.