ABOUT US
What makes Mahnke Consulting unique?
Two strategic advantages:
Mahnke Consulting- Focuses only on federal-government-funded award recipients, and
- Understands the GovCon market from hands-on employment with both the Government (i.e., DCAA) and contractors (with a profit incentive – not just a regulatory one)

Linda Mahnke, Principal of
Mahnke Consulting
From drafting policies & procedures,
to developing & presenting training,
Linda excels in compliance.
How the Principal got the idea
Linda Mahnke still remembers conducting a DCAA audit on the cost proposal of a major Defense contractor while the auditee pleaded, “How are we supposed to support the costs?” The company did not intend fraud or overbilling. They just didn’t know The Government Way. The pre-established audit steps had budgeted hours. The steps authorized no time for training contractors on building an audit trail. The Contracting Officer disallowed big dollars for contract funding, based on that audit report. The auditee was a recently hired accountant. He had no GovCon experience or training. His executive management had no better grasp of adequate documentation.
Linda thought, “There’s a market for this.”
After DCAA employment, she helped Defense and other-agency federal government contractors from the other side of the negotiating table. She worked both as an employee and as a self-employed consultant. In 1999, Linda founded Mahnke Consulting.
The company’s goal is to work each project so well, that we’re out of a job.
Previous clients request only occasional help or a new and different project. They understand the Government’s perspective, anticipate (occasionally perverse) GovCon rules, and sleep better at night. Linda serves as the Principal of Mahnke Consulting. She manages every project – from preparation for a DCAA audit to guidance for a FAR-compliant system of administrative operations.
On what project may Mahnke Consulting help you build an adequate audit trail?
Credentials of the Principal
Successful Experience:
- Six years employed as a DCAA auditor
- Six years employed as a prime contractor Contract/Subcontract Administrator/Manager – Fortune 200 Divisions and Small Disadvantaged Business
- More than 20 years as a management consultant to clients in the GovCon market
- Prepare for Accounting System Reviews and Purchasing System Reviews
- Draft Cost Proposals for submission to DoD, NIH, and other Agencies
- Lead Contract Negotiations with the Government on Behalf of Clients
- Draft Incurred Costs and Provisional Rates Proposals
- Create General Ledger Structure from Scratch, including a Chart of Accounts
- Draft Compliant Accounting, Cost Estimating, and Purchasing Policies and Procedures, then Train Clients toward Auditable Implementation
Education
- Bachelor of Science with a major in Accounting, Indiana University
- Master of Business Administration, Florida Institute of Technology
Past Member:
- Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- Project Management Institute
- American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants
Past Chapter Board Member:
- Treasurer, National Association of Women Business Owners
- Hospitality Chair, Treasurer and Webmaster, National Contract Management Association
- Treasurer, Institute of Management Accountants
- President, National Contract Management Association