Jolene Lauria Sullens serves as deputy assistant attorney general and controller at the Department of Justice. She also holds the position of principal financial management and budget expert for the DOJ and is responsible for the development and execution of the budget and DOJ’s performance and accountability reports. Her responsibilities also include the issuance of the DOJ’s public financial statements, its accounting operations, and operational control over departmental funds.
As controller, Sullens is in charge of making critical strategic planning and resource recommendations to the attorney general, senior policy staff, the White House and Congress. She is also the lead executive responsible for implementing the DOJ’s Unified Financial Management System.
Prior to becoming deputy assistant attorney general, Sullens served as director of budget staff for the DOJ. There, she was responsible for the formulation and execution of the DOJ’s budget, and its performance-outcome measures. Before that position, she was deputy chief financial officer and director of budget at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration where she managed all budget- and financial-management activities for many different programs.
In addition to budget-related positions, Sullens has held analyst positions at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Public and Indian Housing Policy, the Montgomery County Government, Office of Legislative Oversight, and the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, Intergovernmental Liaison Unit.
Sullens holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from the American University. She was the recipient of the Patricia Roberts-Harris Fellowship at the American University and the American University’s Arthur S. Flemming Award for Exemplary Public Service.