January 23, 2002

Electronic newsroom

Deborah Johnson Named Brookhaven Lab’s Director of Internal Audit

UPTON, NY - Deborah Johnson was named Director of Internal Audit for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, effective March 1. She replaced Franklin Federmann, who retired.

Johnson is responsible for directing financial, operational and compliance audits for Brookhaven Lab, which has about 3,000 employees and a total annual budget of over $400 million. Her office serves as an independent resource for conducting internal audits and studies, coordinating outside audit activities, and providing expert information and guidance on effective internal controls and prudent business practices.

Johnson reports to the Laboratory Director and advises the Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) Board of Directors on audit matters. Founded by Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, and Stony Brook University, BSA manages the Laboratory for DOE.

“These are dynamic times for the internal audit profession,” Johnson said. “As of January 1, 2002, The Institute of Internal Auditors put in place new standards for the professional practice of auditing that provide an enhanced systematic and disciplined framework for audit activities.”

Johnson received a B.S. in business economics in 1980, and an M.S. in technological systems management from Stony Brook University in 1995. A certified public accountant in New York State and a certified fraud examiner, she began her career in the public accounting profession before joining Brookhaven as a senior auditor in 1987. In 1990, she became the Laboratory’s Deputy Chief Internal Auditor, and, in 1998, following a change of management contractors for Brookhaven Lab, she was named Deputy Director of Internal Audit at Brookhaven, a position she held until she took on her current title.

From 1991 to 1993, Johnson participated in the development of a peer-review program for DOE’s contractor audit functions. She served as chair of DOE’s professional standards subcommittee from 1993 to 1996, and later as a peer-review advisor for the DOE contractor audit community. Presently, she is a member of the DOE Secretary’s steering committee for quality auditing. Johnson is a recipient of the Town of Brookhaven’s 2000 Woman of the Year Award for Business.

Johnson’s professional affiliations include membership in The Institute of Internal Auditors, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She has served on the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants’ committees for nonprofit organizations and tax-exempt organizations.