Ms. Lara Sayer, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. As the Department of the Air Force’s Deputy Comptroller, she serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary in his role as the department’s chief financial officer. She provides financial management of department resources, including nearly 700,000 military and civilian personnel and an annual budget of almost $250 billion. She oversees the budgeting, financial operations, cost estimating, financial business systems and Congressional appropriations liaison that support Department of the Air Force priorities, in accordance with Congressional, Secretary of War and Secretary of the Air Force direction. Additionally, she leads the professional development of over 13,000 military and civilian members of the Air Force financial management community.
Ms. Sayer began her federal career as a DAF Palace Acquire intern. She has more than 28 years of acquisition and financial management experience and has held positions of increased responsibility in the areas of budget execution and formulation, resource management and program control supporting the Air Force, Navy and United States Special Operations Command. She has served as the Comptroller for Commander, Navy Installations Command and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, as the Comptroller for the Office of Naval Research, and as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer for USSOCOM. Additionally, she served as Executive Director of the bipartisan legislative Commission on PPBE Reform. Her experience spans several appropriations and functional areas, including budget, earned value management, cost and acquisition. Prior to her current assignment, Ms. Sayer was the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison, where she was the department’s primary liaison to Congressional members and staff serving on the House and Senate Appropriations and Budget Committees.
EDUCATION
1995 Bachelor of Music, Vocal Performance, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
1997 Master of Business Administration, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2010 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2013 Master of Science, National Resource Strategy, the Eisenhower School at National Defense University, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
2019 Leadership at the Peak, Center For Creative Leadership, Colorado Springs, Colo.
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. September 1998–August 1999, Budget Analyst, Financial Analysis, Operations and Maintenance Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Material Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.
2. September 1999–October 2003, SBIRS High Financial Manager, Space Based Infrared Systems, SMC, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
3. November 2003–January 2005, SBIRS Air Force Financial Team Lead, Space Based Infrared Systems, SMC, AFSPC, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
4. February 2005–April 2005, TSAT And Polar EHF Financial Team Lead, MILSATCOM, SMC, AFSPC, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
5. April 2005–April 2006, Executive Officer to the Executive Director, SMC, AFSPC, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
6. May 2006–August 2007, Research and Development, Test and Evaluation Appropriation Manager, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va.
7. August 2007–July 2009, Chief of Program Control, Development Planning, SMC, AFSPC, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
8. August 2009–July 2012, Chief of Program Control, Launch And Range Systems Directorate, SMC, AFSPC, Los Angeles AFB, Calif.
9. July 2012–June 2013, Student, Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, D.C.
10. July 2013–January 2017, Assistant for Special Programs, Budget Investment Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, HAF, Arlington, Va.
11. January 2017–October 2019, Deputy Chief Financial Officer/Comptroller, Center for Financial Management, U.S. Special Operations Command, Macdill AFB, Fla.
12. October 2019–April 2021, Comptroller, Office Of Naval Research, Arlington, Va.
13. April 2021–June 2022, Comptroller, Commander, Navy Installations Command and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, D.C.
14. June 2022–July 2024, Executive Director, Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution Reform, Arlington, Va.
15. July 2024–July 2025, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
16. July 2025–October 2025, (Acting) Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
17. October 2025–present, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Financial Management and Comptroller), Department of the Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service
Department of Navy Superior Civilian Service Award
Department of Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Burkhul Leadership Award, U.S. Special Operations Command
Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
Outstanding Contribution to Financial Management and Comptroller (Air Staff Level)
Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award
American Society of Military Comptrollers Meritorious Award - Acquisition/Cost
Exemplary Civilian Service Award
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
DoD Financial Management Certification, Level III
DAWIA Financial Management, Level III
DAWIA Program Management, Level I
Certified Defense Financial Manager with Acquisition Specialty
(Current as of March 2026)