Leonard Bechtel, who has held resource management positions within the federal government for 30 years, currently serves as the NTIA Chief Financial Officer and Director of Administration. In this role, he oversees the full array of management support services, including strategic planning, budgeting, information technology management, human resources, procurement, internal controls, facility management, emergency planning and security. Since 2011, he has focused on strengthening NTIA’s planning and budget execution processes and modernizing IT systems and practices.
Prior to joining NTIA, Mr. Bechtel held the position of Chief, Strategic Planning and Internal Controls in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Division of Insurance and Research, where he coordinated all planning, budgeting, procurement and workforce engagement efforts. He supported efforts to update the insurance premium structure for financial institutions after the financial crisis of 2008. From 2003-2008, as the Chief of Staff of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Wastewater Management, he coordinated all administrative and management services for the agency’s largest component office. In this capacity, he managed significant financial resources including the multi-billion dollar Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the State and Tribal Water Pollution Control Grant Program.
As a Federal CFO Council Fellow, Mr. Bechtel managed the Department of Transportation’s Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Internet Commerce site, which served as the prototype for the government-wide Pay.gov, an electronic payment system for transactions between businesses and individuals with the federal government. Government Executive magazine recognized his work on the DIY site with the Government Technology Leadership Award. He was also recognized by the CFO Council with its first Impact Award for his contributions to interagency efforts to implement the Government Performance and Results Act and to develop training programs for budgeting and financial management professionals across government.
He began his federal career as a Presidential Management Intern after earning his Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Scranton.