EDA Welcomes Jennifer Werner as New Chief Financial Officer & Chief Administrative Officer

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), today announced Jennifer Werner as the bureau’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

As the new CFO and CAO, Werner will lead the development, integration, strategic planning and overall direction of all financial, budget and administrative activities at EDA, to include internal financial control systems across the bureau. In this role, she will oversee EDA’s Office of Finance and Management Services (OFMS), which consists of the Administration and Budget & Finance Divisions. She officially assumed her duties on November 6, reporting to the Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

“We are so pleased to welcome Jennifer to EDA at this important time in our evolution. EDA will benefit tremendously from her extensive experience as she leads the development, integration, strategic planning and direction of all financial, budget/administrative activities and related financial internal control systems across the bureau,” said Dennis Alvord, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development and Chief Operating Officer.

Jennifer recently served as the Director of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Program Management Office at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) where she oversaw implementation and execution of $36 billion in new funding. Prior to that role, she served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Resource Management and was responsible for budget, financial services, human capital, and acquisition services for DOI’s Office of the Chief Information Officer. She was also the Deputy Comptroller/Budget Officer for the National Park Service where she managed budget formulation, budget execution, strategic planning, and business systems. 

“I am so thrilled to be returning to the Department of Commerce and joining EDA at this time in the bureau’s history,” said Werner. “The OFMS team plays a critical role in helping EDA deliver for the American people and enable place-based, equitable economic growth across the country and I am excited to get started.”

Prior to joining DOI, Jennifer spent 17 years at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Initially employed as an oceanographer, she spent more than a decade in budget, financial management, and administrative program management roles at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and served as the Chief Financial Officer for the National Technical Information Service.

Jen holds a Master of Science in Meteorology from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from the United States Naval Academy. 

Learn more about EDA’s leadership team here.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.