GSA administrator steps down

Stephen A. Perry, head of the General Services Administration since 2001, announced Monday that he will leave his post at the end of the month.

Perry's departure comes at a time when the agency is undergoing major changes: The Federal Acquisition Service is replacing the Federal Technology Service and Federal Supply Service as a single unit from which buying agencies can make purchases under a plan that is awaiting final approval from the Senate. Senior managers have expressed concern over the impact the changes will have on how the agency is run.

In addition to GSA's reorganization, Perry's term has been marked by legal controversy. The inspectors general at GSA and the Defense Department have released reports within the past year documenting violations of acquisition law at FTS. Two weeks ago, David Safavian, the former head of the Office of Management and Budget's Office of Federal Procurement Policy and Perry's chief of staff from May 2002 to January 2004, was arrested on charges of obstructing justice at GSA and lying about his relationship with a lobbyist.

In a memo Monday to vendors and other associates, Perry, said, "In recent weeks, unconfirmed rumors about my plan to depart GSA and return home to Canton, Ohio, have found their way to every corner of GSA and I'm sure that the resulting uncertainty has been unsettling for you. I regret that you had to endure the situation, but I also appreciate that you endured it without allowing it to become a distraction to your focus on performance."

The official GSA press release on Perry's departure emphasized positive aspects of his term. It credited Perry with the "successful implementation" of performance management and a focus on results.

In the memo, Perry said President Bush "not only expressed his appreciation to me and my family, but also indicated his appreciation for the results we have achieved together during the past four years."

Prior to becoming GSA administrator, Perry worked as senior vice president at the Timken Co., a Canton, Ohio-based manufacturer, and as director of Ohio's Department of Administrative Services.