MEET GEORGE
George E. Kovatch
Over his 30-year federal career Mr. Kovatch has earned a reputation for helping organizations achieve results. George founded a Strategic Consulting and Congressional Relations company that specializes in developing strategic plans and builds teams that utilize business process improvement, evaluate data and risk to inform investment decisions and drive organizational change. He uses his Executive branch, Legislative branch relationships and experience to navigate the federal budget and appropriations processes and achieve results.
George most recently served as the Deputy Comptroller (Budget & Appropriations Affairs) / Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, he led a team of senior military officers and civilians responsible for delivering and securing congressional support for Department of Defense’s (DoD) $700+ billion annual budget and advancing the Secretary of Defense’s readiness and lethality priorities. His success earned him the Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest award the Secretary of Defense can give, noting “the numerous Department of Defense funding wins can be directly attributed to Mr. Kovatch’s leadership and well-orchestrated collaboration.
George worked in the private sector for a Management and IT consulting company where he led the business development efforts to successfully bring the company into two new markets: the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Treasury Department.
George served on Capitol Hill on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Homeland Security. The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over DHS’ 22 agencies and appropriates over $70 billion annually.
He served on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard for over 20 years as a surface operations specialist (Cutterman) in several ships in positions up through Commanding Officer. He was also a financial manager selected by the Commandant to establish a new office (CG-85) responsible for implementing the Service’s financial management strategic plan. This set the stage for the Coast Guard and DHS to achieve an unqualified audit opinion for the first time in history.
A native of Massachusetts, George is a graduate of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management and Columbia Business School’s Executive MBA program.
Other Senior Executive Service positions include:
Deputy Chief Management Officer/Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy (Management)
During his tenure the DON achieved $10 billion in savings over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), readiness for tactical aircraft increased from 50% to 80%, and the Department completed two full-scope CFO audits.
Assistant Director, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC), Department of Homeland Security
There he led their Washington, DC operations as the agency’s representative before 100 federal partners, state, local, tribal, international, and private sector customers. He headed both FLETC’s International Training Division and Congressional relations team where he was responsible for achieving passage of FLETC’s first Congressional Authorization Law in their 45-year history.
