FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Mr. Chairman, Senator Moynihan, and distinguished members of the Committee, it is an honor to come before the Senate Finance Committee to be considered for the position of Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer. I am pleased to have with me today my husband of nine months, Jay McGonigle, and my parents, Manuel Ross and Diane Munro.

It is truly an honor to have been nominated by the President for this position. I am particularly grateful to Secretary Summers and my predecessor, Nancy Killefer, for their strong support and the confidence they have expressed in me by supporting my nomination.

Before joining federal service a few years ago I worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, and at Marriott International in strategic planning and international product development. My formal education includes a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, and a Masters degree from MIT's Sloan School of Management.

For the past two years it has been my privilege to serve at the Treasury Department as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Strategy and Finance in the office of Management. In that position I had responsibility for managing the Department's budget and planning process. In addition, I served as the Office of Management's primary liaison to Treasury's largest bureau, the IRS, while it was undergoing the most significant restructuring in over 50 years as required by the Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. I conducted this work in strong partnership with Commissioner Charles Rossotti, for whom I have the highest respect.

I regard the position to which I am nominated as an important public trust. The Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer is responsible for implementing the objectives of the Administration and the Congress over a very wide area. These objectives include a focus on customer service, and a responsibility to ensure that the human and financial resources entrusted to the Department are applied in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. If confirmed, I hope to leverage the experience I gained in the private sector and during my tenure as Deputy Assistant Secretary to realize those objectives.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to answer any questions.