Penny Popps
Instructor
Penny N. Popps is an exceptional leader with 20+ years of private and public
sector experience and expertise in the field of accounting, audit, compliance,
risk management, fraud, and internal controls. She is the recipient of multiple
public service, appreciation, recognition, and performance awards. And she’s
currently devoted to teaching Financial Management courses at Graduate
School USA as an Instructor.
During her almost 15 years as a Federal Government Public Servant, she had
many pivotal transformational leadership roles including being the 1st Fraud
Risk Manager at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) where she successfully helped to mature its
Fraud Risk Management Program.
She has a B.B.A in Accounting from the University of Texas at Arlington, Master of Business Administration
(MBA) from Texas Woman’s University, Advanced Technical Certificate in Professional Accountancy from
Dallas College, Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA), and the Department
of Defense (DOD) Financial Management Certifications along with an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)
Certification.
Prior to SBA, she had a career at HUD that spans over six years managing projects that ensured the successful
and efficient delivery of affordable, safe, and decent housing to U.S. citizens along with safeguarding HUD's
programs from fraud, waste, and abuse. While at HUD she led multiple audit teams in the execution of
complex quality control reviews of independent public accounting firms (Single Audits), CIGIE reviews,
financial assessments, staffing studies, annual OMB A-123 risk assessment reviews for the Accountability,
Integrity, & Risk (AIR) Program, etc.
During her Federal Government career, she also was the Branch Chief of Financial Reporting at the DHS ICE
OCFO, Office of FM-Financial Service Center. She oversaw the operations of both the Payroll and Fund
Balance with Treasury Units for all DHS ICE components which processed approximately $5.2B in payroll
transactions and reconciled $10.1B in cash transactions, achieving improved optimization of FM.
For many years, she also successfully led and supervised audit teams at the Defense Contract Audit Agency
(DCAA) in which she recovered millions in questioned costs owed from contractors. And within state
government, she recovered millions of sales and use tax dollars owed to the Texas State Comptroller of Public
Accounts as she led various audits. All of her efforts ensured that taxpayer dollars were being utilized
reasonably and efficiently.
Popps’ many years of experience in the private sector included helping to build successful internal audit
divisions at major corporations such as Essilor Group and Fossil Group. During her career, she continues to
gain expertise and knowledge while paying it forward by mentoring, coaching, and training those new to the
accounting, audit, compliance, risk management, fraud, and internal controls industries.
Popps is very passionate about all her philanthropy and volunteer efforts, especially with Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc. and the Junior League of Washington. It’s her mission to continue to provide service to all
mankind during her career, in retirement, and throughout her life. She currently resides in Alexandria, VA and
spends her leisure time reading.
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