General Services Administration

1949 1800 F St. NW, Washington, DC 20405 202-501-1231 $423 million 14,194 GSA supplies federal employees with workspace, security, furniture, equipment, supplies, tools, computers, and telephones. It also provides travel and transportation services; manages the federal motor vehicle fleet; oversees telecommuting centers and federal child care centers; preserves historic government buildings; manages a fine arts program; and develops, advocates, and evaluates government-wide policy. Administrator 202-501-0800 On the short list in Round 2 of Bush's search for a Labor Secretary, the Ohio native instead got the GSA job and became the first African-American to head the agency. His appointment came after persistent lobbying from Sen. George V. Voinovich, R-Ohio, who as Ohio's governor in 1991 tapped Perry to be director of the state Department of Administrative Services. Perry won praise there for cutting jobs that didn't further the department's goals and for computerizing state services. Now, Perry's eyes light up when discussing his plans to foster "a continuous-improvement culture" at the GSA. Except for his two years in Ohio state government, Perry, 55, had spent his career at the Timken Co., an international steel-manufacturing company based in Canton, Ohio, where he began as a stockroom clerk, worked in various accounting positions, and eventually became senior vice president for human resources. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Akron and a master's degree in management from Stanford University. Perry says he'll conduct in-depth department reviews before making major changes at the GSA. But his aim is to set departmental goals and track progress toward them. "He's going to have to build on the improvements that are being made to bring the General Services Administration into the modern world," Voinovich said. And he'll have to put out the occasional political fire, such as the allegations that Clinton aides defaced offices and equipment on their way out. A passionate golfer, Perry serves on the University of Ohio Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees of the Professional Football Hall of Fame. decision makers