Cheryl Hall, CGFM, believes that federal financial managers should take the lead in bringing more professionalism to their profession and that the CGFM should be a professional standard.

“I think that it’s really going to have to begin with us,” said Hall, financial manager for the U.S. Air Force, Mission Support Directorate, Civil Engineering Division in Colorado Springs. “I don’t think the push will come from the top. I think the push will have to come from financial professionals in the field insisting upon and demonstrating higher professional standards.”

Hall has also earned the Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM) designation, which requires specialized study in areas unique to the U.S. Department of Defense, and her goal this year is to pass the CPA exam with the idea that the credentials can complement each other. “I’ll show knowledge and familiarity in all aspects of governmental budget and accounting as well as the private sector,” she said.

Hall develops and executes a budget of roughly $110 million for the Air Force environmental program, distributes funds and ensures they are spent efficiently and effectively. In this capacity, she sometimes interacts with state agencies, other federal agencies and private sector firms, so a broad base of budget and accounting knowledge is important.

She said that raising the bar and requiring a higher level of education, knowledge and skills for certain finance positions would go far toward recognizing that financial managers are becoming increasingly involved in “board room” rather than “back room” decisions.

DoD paid for Hall to attend the CGFM preparatory courses, which counted as CPE toward maintaining her CDFM credential. The department also reimbursed her for the CGFM Exam fees. The Air Force also uses a system called a “total person score” to help evaluate whether promotions are justified. Up to 10 points are given for certifications, three each are given for the CDFM and CGFM. The CPA is worth four.

So while certifications will help Hall if she wants to move up within the department, it can also help if she wants a change. “I may decide to do something else in my career, and I know AGA has worked really hard for recognition of the CGFM.”

Hall said earning the CGFM was a confidence boost. “It assures me that as a financial professional I’m hitting the mark, and since this is such a broad field, there may be things that I don’t do on a day-to-day basis, but it keeps me in touch with those things. It keeps me in touch with my profession.”