CLEVELAND DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE

CHALLENGE

Pentagon threatened closure of Cleveland DFAS office in massive budget cuts; 1,000 jobs were threatened. Historically, only one in ten government offices targeted for closure by the Pentagon stayed open. Few people in the community knew DFAS even existed.

APPROACH

Establish a leadership coalition. Humanize DFAS and articulate its value to men and women in uniform and to the regional economy. Deliver the core message that "Cleveland DFAS = Excellent People, Excellent Performance, Excellent Value" to multiple audiences.

RESULTS

"DFAS" became a household word in the media and the community. Pentagon reversed its decision: 1,000 jobs were saved and 500 more were added. Pentagon's reasoning exactly mirrored the messages and content we delivered throughout the campaign.