Melissa D. Blakesly, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Associate 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, Virginia. In this capacity, she serves as the Department of the Air Force’s primary liaison to congressional members and staff serving on the House and Senate Appropriations and Budget Committees. She leads a staff of military, civilian and contracted professionals who coordinate a cohesive financial management strategy to align Department of the Air Force priorities with congressional processes and timelines to support legislative action.
Ms. Blakesly began her career in private industry and entered the federal civil service in 2008. Her work has been primarily focused on financial management and acquisition. Prior to this assignment, she served as Director of Financial Management at the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center. In that role, she provided expert guidance on all resourcing matters, overseeing the delivery of installation and mission support capabilities across the Department of the Air Force including managing more than $13 billion annually in funding. Her other assignments include Deputy Director of Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Deputy Director, Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, the Pentagon Washington, D.C.; Director of the Commander’s Action Group for the Auditor General of the Air Force through the Civilian Strategic Leadership Program; Workforce Development lead for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cost and Economics; Joint Strike Fighter Program in Arlington, Virginia, first as the Financial Manager of the test program and later as lead Cost Analyst of the follow-on development program.
EDUCATION
1992 Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, Piano Performance and Music Management, Blackburn College, Carlinville, Ill.
1999 Master of Music, Music History, University of Cincinnati, Ohio
2008 Master of Business Administration, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
2015 Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., by correspondence
2016 Alan L. Freed Associates Leadership in a Transformational Age: American Power and Global Order, Washington, D.C.
2018 Air War College, Maxwell AFB, Ala., by correspondence
2020 Distinguished Graduate, National Defense University, Eisenhower School of National Security and Resource Strategy
CAREER CHRONOLOGY
1. June 1992–October 2008, various private industry positions
2. October 2008–April 2010, Cost Analyst, Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio
3. April 2010–June 2012, Cost Analyst and Financial Manager, F-22 System Program Office, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
4. June 2012–February 2014, Budget Lead and Cost Lead, F-35 System Program Office, Washington, D.C.
5. February 2014–January 2016, Operations Research Analyst, Cost Integration, Policy and Workforce Development, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
6. January 2016–October 2016, Director, Commander’s Action Group, Office of the Auditor General, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
7. October 2016– July 2019, Deputy Director, Air Force Office of Budget and Appropriations Liaison, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Va.
8. August 2019–June 2020, Student, The Eisenhower School of National Security and Resource Strategy, Washington, D.C.
9. August 2020–December 2022, Deputy Director of Financial Management and Comptroller, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
10. December 2022–December 2025, Financial Management Director, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas
11. December 2025–present, Associate 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
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
1. Level III, Department of Defense Financial Management & Comptroller Certified
Defense Financial Manager
2. American Society of Military Comptrollers, Certified Defense Financial Manager
3. Level II, Acquisition Professional Development Program, Bus-CE
4. Level I, Acquisition Professional Development Program, PM
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
2025 Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2022 Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2019 Meritorious Civilian Service Award
2018 DoD Senior Professional Women Association Excellence in Mentorship Award
2018 Air Force Association Legislative Liaison Civilian of the Year
Numerous Special Act/Service Awards
(Current as of January 2026)