National Division

Office of The Chief Financial Officer

The OCFO/OCAO Mission:

The NWS Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer leads effective and responsible stewardship of financial, human, and physical resources and establishes budget, internal controls, and administrative policies and procedures to help enable NWS to fulfill its mission while building a Weather-Ready Nation.

Learn more about the initiative for a Weather- Ready Nation here.

The OCFO/OCAO Vision:

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer shall be known throughout NWS for its expertise, customer service, and knowledgeable guidance with a focus on delivering consistent, responsive, and effective support to all NWS stakeholders. We will provide timely, accurate, and complete information and analysis to support transparent decision-making.

OCFO/OCAO shall foster a positive workplace environment where employees are valued for their contributions, acknowledged for quality work, encouraged to develop skills to reach professional goals, and empowered to perform duties at the highest standards, all while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Learn more about NOAA Awards to recognize valuable contributions here.

Budget Formulation and Execution Division:

The Budget Formulation & Execution team of the OCFO/OCAO specializes in financial planning, internal controls, and property management. The team is responsible for ensuring that the organization has access to resources and guidance needed to properly forecast and disseminate weather information, especially during weather-related emergencies. To help the NWS achieve its mission to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy, the Budget Formulation & Execution team:

Formulates, monitors, and executes the NWS Annual Budget
Manages the NWS database for financial reporting
Allocates and provides accounting resources to support the Portfolios, Offices, and Regions
Develops and implements a program for internal audits and controls, business process improvement, and issuing federal compliance guidance
Maintains monitoring and reporting NWS Property Accountability

Management and Organization Division:

The Management & Organization team of the OCFO/OCAO specializes in labor relations management, human capital planning, career framework development, and administrative policy. The team is responsible for ensuring that the organization maintains proper staffing levels and for developing strategies for effective workforce management. The NWS mission can only be fulfilled with supported employees who have access to adequate training. In order to help achieve this goal, the Management & Organization team:

Develops administrative policies
Manages NWS’s workforce management policy and activities
Coordinates national level labor-management relations within the NWS
Acts as liaison to the General Accounting Office, Office of the Inspector General, and other investigative services
Manages Awards and Recognition program
Monitors NWS Human Resources software, including timekeeping, benefits, and travel reimbursement platforms

For a comprehensive list of the responsibilities that the NWS OCFO/OCAO manages, click here.

Our Directors:

Beth Lamb
Chief Financial
Officer / Chief Administrative Officer

Beth Lamb first joined NOAA in 2019 as the Deputy Director of the NOAA Budget Office. In this role, she led efforts to build and execute NOAA's annual budget, prepare for NOAA's transition to a new accounting system, strengthen NOAA's position-budget management and reporting, and implement more than $6 billion in supplemental funding.

Beth began her Federal career in 2004, when she joined the House Appropriations Committee as a staff assistant. In 2006, she moved to the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, where she managed multiple accounts, including the Indian Health Service. Beth then joined the Budget Office at the Department of the Interior in 2010, where, among other responsibilities, she helped oversee the identification of budgetary impacts and coordination of supplemental funding related to Deepwater Horizon. In 2011, she joined the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as the Budget Formulation Chief.

Mathew Grow
Deputy Chief Financial Officer/Deputy Chief Administrative Officer

Mathew Grow came to the NWS OCFO/OCAO from the NOAA Finance Office, where he was the Director of the Financial Systems Division (FSD). He has over 20 years of Federal financial management, systems implementations, and operations and maintenance experience. He started his career as a consultant supporting DOC, NOAA, and National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the migration of multiple Commerce agencies from their legacy financial systems onto the Commerce Business System (CBS). In 2008, he joined the NOAA Finance Office, where he led the effort to consolidate five offices to two.

In 2009, Mathew became the Director of FSD, overseeing the support and maintenance of NOAA’s CBS environment and representing NOAA as the CBS program manager in interactions with DOC leadership. He also supported DOC leadership as they began to plan and prepare for the future modernization of CBS and other DOC administrative systems. Mathew also spent time at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) improving their financial and administrative systems planning and execution.

For general inquiries about NWS OCFO/OCAO, please contact: nws.ocfo.ocao@noaa.gov

Active Weather for the West, Warming in the East