Whitman celebrates 50 years of the Association of Syracuse Defense Comptrollers

Wednesday, April 29, 2009, By News Staff

Whitman celebrates 50 years of the Association of Syracuse Defense Comptrollers April 29, 2009Amy Schmitzaemehrin@syr.edu

The Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Association of Syracuse Defense Comptrollers (ASDC) on May 19 at a special event in Crystal City, Va.

The Defense Comptrollership Program began at Whitman in 1952 and has since trained thousands of financial managers to handle multibillion-dollar resources for the U.S. Department of Defense. Its more than 1,500 military and civilian graduates are found at the highest levels of financial management in the Department of Defense, as well as in business, academia and all levels of government. The ASDC was started in 1959 as a way to provide networking and continuing education opportunities for alumni. The organization is currently headed by Kathleen Miller, director of operations support in the Army Budget Office, Department of the Army.

“We are extremely proud of the ASDC for building such a strong network of alumni and for staying connected with Whitman,” says Melvin T. Stith, dean of the Whitman School. “The work they’ve done over the course of the last five decades to offer meaningful programs for alumni is exemplary, and they’re also a very spirited group—each and every one of them bleeds orange, even if they have not been on campus for many years. We are delighted to recognize their long-lasting achievements at the 50th anniversary.”

The celebration will coincide with a visit to Washington, D.C., by current defense comptrollership students from the Whitman School, led by Col. (retired) David Berg, director of defense programs. The visit includes tours of the Pentagon, guest lectures by DOD financial management officials and visits to Congress.

For more information, contact Whitman’s Executive Education Office at (315) 443-2898. Media queries can be directed to Amy Schmitz, Whitman director of communications, at (315) 443-3834 or aemehrin@syr.edu.