Vern McHargue serves as Controller for The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, the premier nonprofit educational foundation committed to the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. He is responsible for all organizational accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, financial planning, audit and a small corporate donor caseload.
Though he spent a short time in development, banking and sales, the majority of Mr. McHargue's career has been focused on serving in financial roles within nonprofit organizations.
Before joining The Heritage Foundation, he worked as Controller for United Way of America, in Alexandria, VA. In addition to financial responsibilities such as audit, budget, tax, reporting and analysis, he participated in initiatives and on national teams that helped shape organizational strategy, improving and automating financial functions in order to better support strategy implementation and monitoring.
Prior to his work at United Way of America, Vern served as Corporate Chief Accountant for Experience Works!®, a national nonprofit organization with operations in 48 states and Puerto Rico devoted to helping disadvantaged older Americans in rural areas obtain gainful employment. Before joining Experience Works!®, he was Divisional Controller for The Salvation Army's National Capital & Virginia Division. Vern also served in various finance and development related positions at The Salvation Army's Florida state office and metropolitan operation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Mr. McHargue holds an MBA degree from Marymount University, a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University and leadership and strategy certificates from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. He earned the Greater Washington Society of CPA's President's Award for Outstanding Achievement and is a member of Delta Epsilon Sigma, the national scholastic honor society.
He is committed to volunteering and is President of the DC Chapter of Financial Executives International and member of the Greater Washington Society of CPAs. He is also President of the St. Andrew's Society of Washington, DC, immediate past Vice President of the George Washington Chapter Sons of the American Revolution and member of the Pohick Church choir. He lives in Virginia with his wife and four sons.