Tonya R. Johnson-Simmons

Mrs. Tonya R. Johnson-Simmons, an accomplished Executive in the Federal Government, currently holds the esteemed position of Deputy Chief Financial Officer (Deputy CFO) for the Department of the Interior (DOI). As a trailblazer, she oversees an impressive portfolio of $167 billion in assets.

In her multifaceted role, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons serves not only as the Deputy CFO but also assumes the responsibilities of the Director of the Office of Financial Management, Senior Travel Official, and Donations Senior Manager within the Department. Reporting directly to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget, Finance, Grants, and Acquisition, she plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing financial policies, accounting practices, and strategic financial initiatives.

With an extensive 32-year career in the Federal Government, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons is widely recognized as an expert in financial management and accounting. Her purview includes providing strategic direction, planning, monitoring, oversight, and coordination across various financial domains such as policy, reporting, analysis, data analytics, travel management, public-private partnerships, donation processing, internal control reviews, fraud awareness, risk management, and audits—both internal and external.

Most recently, Mrs. Johnson‑Simmons received the Association of Government Accountants (AGA) 2025 Distinguished Leadership Award, honoring her significant contributions to the government financial management profession. In 2024, she was recognized as a Presidential Rank Award Distinguished Rank recipient—one of the top 10 CFOs in the nation. She has been featured in Key Executives (formerly C‑Suite) as a trailblazing financial leader and highlighted on the Personiv CFO Weekly podcast for her exceptional financial management expertise and transformative work at the Department. Under her leadership, the Department has earned four consecutive AGA Best in Class Awards for its Agency Financial Report (AFR) and reduced CFO Act audit findings from nineteen to just two.

Beyond her professional achievements, Mrs. Johnson-Simmons holds academic accolades, including a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in Forensic Accounting from Strayer University, an MBA from the University of Maryland, and a B.S. in Accounting. She is a distinguished graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Senior Fellows. Mrs. Johnson-Simmons is a proud former Norfolk State University Spartan, hailing from Suffolk, VA.