Harold Ivan Steinberg

Harold Ivan (“Hal”) Steinberg, 86, of Arlington, VA and Boca Raton, FL, died peacefully on October 25, 2021 with his wife at his side after a short battle with cancer. Hal was born to Benjamin Steinberg and Beatrice Rottenberg Steinberg in 1935. As a young boy in New York City, Hal never dreamed he would become one of the nation's leading experts in Government Financial Management and Performance, and would work in the White House serving three presidents, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Hal's mother’s German background and work ethic would resonate with him all of his life. One of his colleagues once joked “If Hal Steinberg agreed to take on an assignment, you could be assured it would be completed. However, you may not enjoy the trip”. Hal's love of country, desire to contribute, and never-ending curiosity about the world continued to be his driving forces. As a young boy in New York City, he joined the Boy Scouts where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow. There he enjoyed camping and rope tying, which he loved sharing with his grandsons, and outdoor cooking. Cooking thereafter became a lifelong passion of his. Hal’s curiosity about the world and love of travel further motivated him to join the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant, graduating from Advanced Flight School where he became one of its youngest pilots. Hal flew single engine jets, including his beloved T-33, and instructed pilots, most of whom were senior to him, on transitioning to jets. After graduating in 1951 at the age of 16 from New York City’s famed Stuyvesant High School, Hal went on to Syracuse University majoring in marketing, with the intention of joining the family men's shirt manufacturing business. Syracuse was also where he met Rosalie Bomze, who he would later marry and with whom he would have three wonderful children. They remained happily married for 29 years until her death. After his discharge in 1959 from the Air Force, Hal, ever the dutiful son, went on to work at the family shirt business. It soon became apparent to him, however, that he had absolutely no interest in men’s fashion. Thus, he decided to follow the passion for accounting he discovered while in college. In 1961, he earned his MBA at NYU, scored second place in the CPA exam for all of New York state and joined Peat, Marwick & Mitchell (now KPMG) specializing in government financial management, and he loved it. He rose to the top of his profession, becoming the head of KPMG’s state and local government practice and then head of its federal government practice. In 1981, much to his surprise, Hal was asked to join President Reagan's administration and was appointed Associate Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget. While at OMB, he established the Inspector General Program as well as many other programs such as implementing the CFO Act of 1990, and the single audit program. He was a driving force in the government audit peer review program and in performance measurement, the process by which government reports accomplishments. Hal was the first Deputy Controller/Acting Controller, Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM). Hal also served 10 years on the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board, reviewing, commenting, and shaping proposals in accounting. He was one of the few people in the country who was an expert in both state and local as well as federal accounting. He was a prolific writer, always willing to share his insights and views and a frequent contributor to accounting publications. In more recent years, Hal was a key contributor to the Association of Government Accountants, developing a program that became known as the Certified Government Financial Management program (CGFM), which established a certification program in the field of government management. Even in his “retirement”, he continued reading and critiquing each and every agency’s annual report, often reading them poolside in sunny Florida. In addition to spending winters in Florida in retirement, Hal and his wife Lana traveled extensively. He loved skiing in Europe and traveling to South and Central America, Kenya, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Japan. He prided himself on having visited every state with the exception of North Dakota, until his son Peter took him there on his 70th birthday. He loved talking with people, particularly young people, and would often inquire where they were from and was usually familiar with their reply. In spite of a busy career, Hal always made time for family events, including holidays, camping with his grandsons, and going on cruises and beach vacations with his family. He even took time to arrive in New York City to surprise a grandson at a pajama party, wearing pajamas and holding a teddy bear. Whenever the opportunity arose, Hal would proudly tell people about his family and their accomplishments. Survivors include his beloved wife of 25 years, Lana Goald Steinberg, daughter Karen Kennedy (Alan), son Peter Steinberg (Dr. Sarah Steinberg), son Daniel Steinberg (Capt. US Navy Physician Marlene Sanchez), his sister Rosalind Rosenbluth (Herbert), and his five adoring grandsons Devon Kennedy, Ross Kennedy, Charlie Steinberg, Henry Steinberg, and Benjamin Steinberg. Services will be held at Temple Rodef Shalom (2100 Westmoreland Street) on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 10:00AM with a graveside service to follow at King David Memorial Gardens (Hollywood Road, Falls Church) at 11AM. Immediately following the burial, people are invited to pay their respects at the residence of Lana Goald Steinberg, Turnery Tower, 1881 North Nash Street, Arlington, Virginia, at the building’s outdoor terrace. Valets are available to assist with parking. The family requests that those attending, be vaccinated, wear masks, an observe social distancing. Zoom Shiva service will be held on Saturday, October 30th at 7:30pm Donations in memory of Hal Steinberg may be made to: Hal Steinberg Memorial Fund C/o Association of Government Accountants 2208 Mt Vernon Ave. Alexandria, VA 22301-1314 Or to further research in Merkel Cell Carcinoma payable to University Foundation C/o Dr. Paul Nghiem University of Washington Merkel Cell Carcinoma Research Lab Brotman Building 850 Republican Street Seattle, Washington 98109 Or at Merkelcell.org. ( identify contribution in memory of Hal Steinberg) Zoom Link for Service: https://track.robly.com/30a4e5f6-b4e0-49d1-8840-b9e0a0dd57fa851a2bc15d6aa77b840d534322397764 Password: 556387 Zoom Link for Shiva: https://track.robly.com/30a4e5f6-b4e0-49d1-8840-b9e0a0dd57faf6ca51046e47d3a4e8b69c0bbfaeb883 Password: 403088

Tributes

Harold Ivan Steinberg

January 2, 1935 - October 25, 2021