Mr. D. Mark Peterson, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Chief Financial Officer for U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. He is the principal financial adviser to the USSOCOM Commander, and the chief spokesman for special operations budget and execution issues totaling more than $13 billion annually. His office provides fiscal direction and guidance to the four USSOCOM component commands, a sub-unified command and seven theater special operations commands, and regularly interfaces with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the military services and Congressional staffs.
Mr. Peterson entered the Navy in 1980 upon graduation from Virginia Tech. After receiving his officer commission he was designated a naval flight officer in the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft. As a combat information mission commander, he deployed aboard the USS Ranger and USS Kitty Hawk. He also completed numerous squadron deployments supporting counterdrug operations for U.S. Southern Command and the Joint Task Force Commander. Early in his career, he was selected into the Joint Chiefs of Staff intern program where he served in the Plans and Programs Directorate. He was subsequently assigned to the Chief of Naval Operations staff where he was the Head of the Cryptology, Information and Electronic Warfare Branch. After completing his graduate education, Mr. Peterson served on the Chief of Naval Operations staff in various appropriation and resource sponsor assignments in the Pentagon. He completed a 20-year Navy career, retiring at the rank of commander in October 2000.
Mr. Peterson entered federal service in October 2000 as a program director in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. While in OSD he was the Director of Program Resources and Integration for the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Advanced Systems and Concepts, as well as Associate Director, Investment, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). Prior to his current assignment, he was Associate Director, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review, Office of the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff.
EDUCATION
1980 Bachelor of Science, Business Management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
1994 Master of Science, Financial Management, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
2002 Federal Executive Institute, Charlottesville, Va.
2010 Department of Defense Joint Executive Management Program, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2011 Vanguard Senior Executive Leadership Program, Washington, D.C.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. October 1980 - April 1993, Naval Flight Officer, various operational squadron and Pentagon staff assignments with the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
2. May 1993 - June 1995, graduate student, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif.
3. June 1995 - May 1999, Appropriation and Resource Sponsor Budget Analyst, Chief of Naval Operations (N095), Washington, D.C.
4. May 1999 - October 2000, Comptroller, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management, Washington, D.C.
5. October 2000 - December 2006, Director, Program Resources and Integration, Advanced Systems and Concepts, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Washington, D.C.
6. December 2006 - August 2007, Associate Director, Investment, Office of the Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), Washington, D.C.
7. August 2007 - October 2008, Associate Director, Air Force Quadrennial Defense Review, Office of the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
8. October 2008 - October 2014, Chief Financial Officer/Comptroller, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
9. October 2014 - December 2015, Director of Essential Function One (EF1 – PPBE), Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan (CSTC-A), Kabul, Afghanistan
10. December 2015 – Present, Chief Financial Officer/Comptroller, USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Fla.
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Rating: Naval Flight Officer/Combat Information Center Officer
Flight hours: Approximately 1,800
Aircraft flown: T-2, T-39 and E-2C
AWARDS AND HONORS
Meritorious Service Medal with gold star
Joint Service Achievement Medal
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with gold star
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with gold star
Joint Meritorious Unit Award with oak leaf cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
2006 Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service
2011 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award
Civilian Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
2014 and 2015 NATO Award Non-Article 5 NATO Medal with bronze star
2015 Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2017 Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND ASSOCIATIONS
American Society of Military Comptrollers
Senior Executives Association
National Defense Industrial Association
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
2010 Certified Defense Financial Manager - Acquisition
2017 Level III Financial Management Certification
(Current as of February 2018)