Deputy Controller for the Office of Financial Operations and Systems

Mulu Kahsay currently serves as the deputy controller for the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Government of District of Columbia. In that capacity, he directs the technical accounting and financial reporting operations within the Office of Financial Operations and Systems (OFOS), providing direction to OFOS personnel at all levels on a daily basis. He also provides expertise and guidance on matters related to District-wide accounting and financial reporting to District agencies, other OCFO offices, and other stakeholders.

Prior to assuming his current role, Kahsay served as the director, Financial Control and Reporting Division (FCRD) for approximately seven years. In that capacity, he prepared and timely issued the District’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) in accordance with applicable standards, relevant District law, and other federal requirements. In addition, he provided guidance on the implementation of new accounting standards issued by the Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) and ensured their timely and accurate implementation. He also served as a primary liaison within OFOS, responding to inquiries received from the mayor, Council, U.S. Congress, the general public, and other stakeholders regarding the District’s ACFR and financial reporting practices.

Kahsay has served the District government in several other capacities since first joining the District in 2008. Between 2008 and 2012, he worked as an accountant in OFOS’s Accounting Operations Division, Cash Reconciliation Unit, and later as an accounting system analyst. Beginning in October 2014, he worked as a financial database analyst within FCRD. In this position, he worked to maintain the accuracy and reliability of the District’s financial information by reviewing and analyzing system data to proactively identify and resolve potential discrepancies. He also assisted financial staff on how to properly use the District’s financial management systems, resolved issues related to the maintenance of the financial systems, provided support to agencies during interim and annual closes; and assisted with the preparation of the District’s ACFR. 

For approximately four years, he served as the manager for FCRD. In that role, he managed the day-to-day activities of FCRD and ensured that the District’s ACFR was issued timely. Kahsay played an instrumental role in the implementation of new ACFR management software that improved the efficiency and accuracy of the ACFR preparation process.

Kahsay has an abundance of experience working with entities outside of District government. He has worked as a business data analyst with the Alexandria City Public Schools, where he, among other things, performed highly specialized accounting work required to maintain the agency’s financial ERP system and conducted difficult and often complex statistical and financial analyses. He also held accounting and systems analyst positions with Intelsat Corporation, Women for Women International, FINCA International, and Ethiopian Airlines.

He is a certified public accountant and holds a master’s degree in data analytics from the University of Maryland Global Campus.