Tom Howard began serving as the Acting Inspector General for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in April 2009.  Tom has 35 years of experience in the Federal accountability community including 7 years as NASA’s Deputy Inspector General.  As Deputy Inspector General, Tom served as the alternate to the Inspector General participating fully in the development and direction of the diverse audit and investigative functions of the Office of Inspector General.

From 1998 to 2002, Tom served as Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Maritime and Surface Safety Issues at the Department of Transportation.  His duties included audit oversight of all Coast Guard and Maritime Administration activities, motor carrier and vehicle safety programs, and multibillion-dollar highway and transit infrastructure projects. 

Prior to joining the IG community, Tom had a 24-year career with the General Accounting Office, where he was an Assistant Director for National Security and International Affairs Audits. Tom spent 16 years in GAO’s Washington, D.C., headquarters and 8 years in GAO’s overseas offices in Frankfurt, Germany, and Honolulu, Hawaii. Throughout his career, he was involved in the oversight of numerous Federal programs and a variety of issues including defense management, procurement, information technology, and international affairs.

Tom holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. He has completed the National Security Management Seminar of the National Defense University and the Federal Executive Institute’s Leadership for a Democratic Society Program. His awards include the GAO’s Meritorious Service Award, and the National Security and International Affairs Division’s Frank C. Conahan Leadership Award. Tom has been a career member of the Senior Executive Service since April 1998.

Voice: 202-358-0547
Fax: 202-358-2767
E-mail: thoward@nasa.gov