Top GSA acquisition officials resign amid reorganization

The two highest-ranking officials in the General Services Administration’s acquisition service announced Monday they will resign after a shakeup in the service’s structuring that includes new leadership.

Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Tom Sharpe and his deputy Kevin Youel-Page issued their resignations, both effective June 24, a GSA spokesperson told FedScoop. Sharpe’s move will mark his retirement from federal service.

The resignations come amid a call from acting GSA Administrator Tim Horne to reorganize the agency’s year-old Technology Transformation Service within the Federal Acquisition Service. Horne said in an email to GSA staff the change would “allow GSA to continue to support the missions of both organizations while achieving significantly greater impact and results.”

With the reorganization, Horne named a new, non-career appointee as FAS commissioner: Alan Thomas.

“Alan brings to GSA broad experience with both technology and business management. He is familiar with GSA and FAS, and has knowledge and experiences with the latest private sector business practices,” the acting commissioner wrote to staff.

Mary Davie, the longtime leader of FAS’s IT acquisition portfolio and the governmentwide IT category manager, will assume Youel-Page’s role upon his departure.

Rob Cook, commissioner of TTS, will retain his lead role as his organization becomes a component of FAS, but his official title will become deputy commissioner.

Cook, in a separate email to TTS staff, called the plan “unexpected and significant,” but assured it’s for the best of the organization.

“[T]he intention behind this is to help us thrive, and I believe it will prove to be a very positive change,” he wrote. “We will continue to have our own culture and identity, and we will continue to work as we always have in an agile, user-centered way. And the move comes with many important practical benefits such as authorities and funding.”