Federal Technology Service Commissioner Dennis Fischer will retire on April 2 after two and a half years as head of the division of the General Services Administration that provides telecommunications and technology services to federal agencies.
Sandra Bates, currently deputy commissioner at FTS, has been selected as Fischer's replacement.
Fischer will become a vice president with VISA USA, where he will head up a sales and integrated solutions division focused on the federal government. Fischer said he will be be working on the purchase, travel and fleet card contracts that federal agencies use and wants to trumpet the use of multi-application smart cards for government workers.
Fischer oversaw the awards of new long-distance telecommunications contracts that could bring the government's long-distance costs to under one cent per minute in the next eight years. Low-cost local telecom contracts were also awarded under Fischer.
FTS also acts as a middleman for federal agencies in purchasing information technology products and services such as desktop and wireless support, information security services and network design.
"The people in the Federal Technology Service are the only precious asset we possess," Fischer said in reflecting upon his tenure. "They constantly make me so proud to be part of the organization."
Bates has been with the government since 1969, serving at both NASA and GSA.
Fischer joined the civil service in 1970 after serving in the military for four and a half years. He worked at the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Mint. From 1992 to 1997 he served as GSA's chief financial officer.
"I'm no spring chicken," Fischer said. "I've had a really wonderful rich career. . . . I'm taking the opportunity to continue to serve the government, but from a different angle."