Alexandria, Virginia — On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, AGA recognized the sustained efforts of 26 federal government agencies and departments to improve government accountability and performance with the association’s annual Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR®) awards. The black-tie affair, hosted at the Grand Hyatt Washington D.C., honored personnel from the recipient organizations for their exceptional commitment to producing high-quality Performance and Accountability Reports (PARs) or Agency Financial Reports (AFRs) for fiscal year (FY) 2024.
The CEAR review process requires a thorough examination of all submitted AFRs and PARs, conducted by experienced teams from across the government financial management community. These reviews include comprehensive recommendations from AGA to government agency leaders, offering suggestions and insights on ways to further improve reporting and meet future challenges.
Beyond its instructional merit, the CEAR program provides an opportunity to highlight and celebrate agencies that have delivered exceptional reporting. In the words of AGA CEO Ann Ebberts, “Through the hard work necessary to develop award-winning reports, agency leadership and staff demonstrated their commitment to transparent and accurate reporting, which is a vital asset in fostering public trust and accountability. All of our CEAR participants should be proud of what they accomplished. It was a great evening to celebrate reporting excellence and the comradery of the financial community!”
Established in collaboration with the Chief Financial Officers Council and the Office of Management and Budget in 1997, the CEAR program aims to enhance accountability and transparency by streamlining reporting processes and showcasing agency achievements.
The following departments and agencies received a CEAR award for their FY 2024 reports:
• Architect of the Capitol
• U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• U.S. Department of Commerce
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Department of Transportation
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Farm Credit Administration
• Federal Housing Finance Agency
• Federal Trade Commission
• U.S. Government Accountability Office
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Internal Revenue Service
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• National Credit Union Administration
• United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• U.S. Office of Personnel Management
• U.S. Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board
• U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
• Social Security Administration
• U.S. Department of State
• U.S. Department of the Treasury
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
“Best in Class” CEAR awards were presented to 13 agencies and departments for demonstrating specific points of excellence with their FY 2024 reports:
Informative introductory information on the agency’s mission and organization
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Outstanding messages from the agency head and chief financial officer that exemplify a commitment to customer service
Internal Revenue Service
A management discussion and analysis (MD&A) that tells a compelling story
U.S. Department of the Interior
Providing an invaluable resource to the public
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Outstanding discussion of the entity’s enterprise risk management (ERM) program
Architect of the Capitol
Clear and insightful analysis of financial statements
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Informative analysis of systems, controls and legal compliance
National Credit Union Administration
An excellent presentation of performance in an Agency Financial Report
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Conveying performance information in a clear, understandable and informative way
Federal Aviation Administration
Clear and concise financial and performance highlights section
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Clear integration of cost and performance data, as well as other metrics
Federal Trade Commission
Informative lease disclosures and effective implementation of SFFAS 54, Leases
U.S. Department of State
Best integration of inspector general management and performance challenges throughout the report
Social Security Administration
The Harold I. Steinberg Excellence in Accountability Reporting Award was given to a clear and consistent champion of furthering federal agency performance and accountability reporting. This year’s winner was Sheila Conley, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance and Deputy Chief Financial Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, who also happened to be the event’s keynote speaker.
To view photos of the gala and learn more about the CEAR program and awardees, please visit AGA’s website.
