NEW FAS LINE UP DESIGNED TO DRIVE MORE GSA BUSINESS

GSA Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Alan Thomas rounded out his management team last week, appointing several new people to permanent and acting positions.  Taken together, the moves are a strong sign that Thomas intends to increase FAS’ share of federal acquisition.   The appointments of Mary Davie to be permanent Deputy Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service and Kay Ely to be the permanent Assistant Commissioner for IT were just two of the announcements.  Davie is well-known in the federal IT community and her new position should give her the ability to strategically manage both that portfolio and the FAS professional service business line to get the most out of each.  Ely served most recently as Davie’s deputy and, as such, worked closely with her on projects such as IT category management and oversight of Alliant II.  Erv Koehler steps into the Customer Accounts and Stakeholder Engagement position.  This means that Koehler will be responsible for marketing FAS solutions to federal customers.  He brings substantial energy and enthusiasm to this position, having served in Huntsville, Alabama where he both expanded GSA’s footprint in that region and oversaw two successful GSA training conferences.  Bob Noonan moves over as acting Assistant Commissioner for General Supplies and Services.  This business line provides many things that FAS is traditionally known for and faces challenges from e-commerce, reduced small business contracting, and industry partners who feel that this part of the agency looks only at pricing.  The next several months will tell a lot about where Thomas and his senior management team want to take FAS and what that means for contractors.