Senate Confirms Martha N. Johnson as GSA Administrator

Johnson to Move GSA Forward on Sustainability, Transparency, Efficiency, and Recovery Initiatives

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly ten months after her nomination last April, the U.S. Senate today confirmed Martha N. Johnson as Administrator of General Services.

Upon assuming office, Johnson will become the first permanent Administrator of the General Services Administration in nearly two years.

"Through the many transitions in leadership, GSA has stepped forward as a faithful and energetic steward of President Obama's recovery and sustainability agenda, and of the new opportunities to promote government transparency, openness, and participation," said Johnson. "As Administrator, I will leverage the agency's strong leadership to build a team that welcomes talent, exhibits performance excellence, collaborates, and innovates; a team that through knowledge, expertise, and transparency, will reform procurement and help move the President's agenda for improvements in the professional acquisition workforce."

Under the Obama Administration, GSA has been ably led by two Acting Administrators: Paul F. Prouty, Rocky Mountain Regional Commissioner of Public Buildings; and Stephen R. Leeds, Senior Counselor to the Administrator.

GSA has risen to the President's challenges to improve government efficiency, openness, and to stimulate the economy. The agency has begun work through the Recovery Act toward a more sustainable federal infrastructure by modernizing federal buildings into higher performing, greener buildings to create jobs and save taxpayer dollars.  By building a replacement federal fleet that is 40 percent more fuel efficient, GSA will save taxpayers more than $40 million over the next seven years and will reduce the government's greenhouse gas emissions by 334 million pounds. GSA has provided agencies with cutting-edge collaboration tools to open government to citizens. GSA will continue to support the federal agenda with innovative IT solutions, quality acquisition services, superior workplaces, and effective governmentwide policies.

"My priority as Administrator will be to put GSA's expertise to work developing and executing policies and products that will create a greener, more efficient, more cost-effective, more open, and more responsible government," Johnson added. "By building on GSA's success thus far, we will provide a streamlined platform for our customer agencies to implement innovative technologies and solutions to decrease government operating costs and increase efficiencies in government service delivery."

Johnson brings to GSA a combination of experience and record of leadership in both the public and private sectors. Most recently, Johnson served as co-lead for the Obama Presidential Transition Agency Review Team for GSA. She served as GSA Chief of Staff from 1996 to 2001, under then-Administrator David Barram. From 1993 to 1996, she was Assistant Deputy Secretary at the Department of Commerce. Under the Clinton Administration, Johnson also served in the Office of Presidential Personnel.

Since 2007, Johnson has served as Vice President of Culture at Computer Sciences Corporation, helping to direct a change in corporate culture within the 90,000-person organization. Previously, she was Vice President at SRA International, managing a strategic consulting group that served federal clients.

Johnson received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College and Master of Business Administration from Yale University.

As the nation's premier federal acquisition and procurement agency, GSA leverages the buying power of the federal government to secure, in the most cost-effective, transparent, and sustainable manner possible, the goods, services, and real property that the civilian federal government needs to operate. In addition, GSA develops governmentwide regulations and policies that encourage agencies to use the best, most cost-effective management practices and serves as a gateway for citizens to directly access the full breadth of government services and information.

GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.

• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than 11 percent of the government's total procurement dollars and $30 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 213,000 vehicles.
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 480 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA's mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.

SOURCE U.S. General Services Administration