Pat Fitzgerald is a director in the government contractor solutions practice of Baker Tilly. He joined the firm in 2015, bringing with more than 35 years of experience in government auditing and acquisition, including expertise in enhancing the cost effectiveness of business operations, resolving compliance challenges, improving business system effectiveness, conducting internal investigations, preparing for negotiations, and improving relationships between contractors, auditors and contracting officers.
Pat is the former director of the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) for the Department of Defense (DoD). There, he oversaw the agency's $600 million budget and the 5,000 professionals providing contract audit and advisory services. His background also includes advising soldiers on effective and efficient mission completion practices, making recommendations to army leaders for resolving varied issues and directing the internal audit function as the U.S. Army's auditor general reporting directly to the secretary of the Army.
Pat possesses extensive knowledge of government contracting processes, including cost accounting standards. His experience includes serving on the five-person OMB Cost Accounting Standards Board representing the DoD.
An exceptional communicator, having testified before members of congress on several occasions, Pat often advises clients on how to employ effective communication strategies to help resolve issues.
- Provides cost-effective solutions to clients, drawing from comprehensive and broad knowledge of federal government operations with respect to acquisition, auditing, government contracting, strategic planning and financial management
- Offers specialized expertise in all types of government audits and evaluations with particular experience in conducting financial, contract and performance audits in the federal government
- Advises on the adequacy of business systems and makes recommendations for implementing cost-effective controls to strengthen the system's control environment
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Procurement Round Table (chair audit committee)
- National Contract Management Association (board of directors)
- National Defense Industrial Association
- Professional Services Council
- American Bar Association, Associate Member (Public Contract Section)
- Co-Authored "Harnessing the Power of Collaboration for Acquisition Reform", Defense Systems (November 2019)
- Keynote Speaker Rocky Mountain Government Contracts Conference on the "State of the Industry" (October 2019)
- Authored "Nine Reflections on the Section 809 Panel Reports and Professional Practice Guide" PSC Service Contractor Magazine Spring 2019
- Panel Member on 809 Panel discussion on the Professional Practice Guide at NDIA (January 2019)
- Team lead and major contributor to "Section 6 — Streamlining and Improving Compliance" of the Section 809 Panel’s Report on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations (Volume 3, January 2019)
- Team lead and Co-author of "Section 2 — Contract Compliance and Audit" of the Section 809 Panel’s Report on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations (Volume 1, January 2018)
- Panelist on "How the next ten years of government auditing and compliance will be different than the last ten years" for the ABA Accounting, Cost & Pricing Committee (October 2018)
- Instructed "Shifting Sands: BIG Changes Under Consideration in Government Contracting" for the AGA San Diego Chapter Annual Seminar (April 2018)
- Instructed "Top 10 Proposal Cost/Price Faux Pas" for the National Contract Management Association (NCMA), San Diego Chapter (April 2018)
- Instructed "Notable Current and Emerging Trends in Pricing and Acquisition Compliance" at the Government Contract Pricing Summit (June 2017)
- Co-Chairperson for 2016 and 2017 Advanced Forum on DCAA and DCMA Cost, Pricing, Compliance & Audits conferences
- Co-authored "DCAA Working to Improve Audit Quality and Management" in Federal Times newspaper article on strategy to transform the Defense Contract Audit Agency with former Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer) the Honorable Robert F. Hale (Aug. 8, 2010)
