GSA administrator: This agency’s workforce delivers effective, efficient government – now and into the future

Over the last three years serving as administrator of the General Services Administration, it’s no surprise that I often turn to the words of my fellow Missourian and GSA’s creator, President Harry S. Truman: “America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” 

I’ve seen that time and again over the course of my career, but perhaps nowhere more clearly than in my role at GSA. This past year, GSA celebrated 75 years of delivering effective, efficient government to the American people. 

As the agency that oversees the federal government’s real estate, procurement, and technology operations, we’re uniquely-positioned to understand what it takes to keep government running smoothly. And the answer is simple: a skilled, agile, and empowered federal workforce is the most important factor in the federal government’s ability to deliver for the people we serve.

At GSA, there are thousands of stories illustrating the positive impact our workforce has on American people. From the schoolteacher in Oakland, Calif., who used IRS’ Direct File to pay her taxes quickly, accurately, and efficiently… to the communities that will have more secure and efficient infrastructure thanks to our investments through the Investing in America agenda… to the veterans, farmers, students, and people impacted by the Maui wildfires who used Login.gov to securely access their benefits…to the veteran who now gets $3,000 a month in retirement and other benefits thanks to our work to improve the Labor Department online “lost and found” registry. 

We know that good government changes lives – but good government also saves money.

When I was first at GSA, I founded and led the state and local government practice at 18F where I saw how GSA’s shared solutions keep agencies at every level from having to recreate the wheel and our acquisition services make sure they get the best value out of every cent. For example, by working with OMB on category management, we’ve been helping organizations buy smarter while helping the government – and taxpayers – avoid over $100 billion in costs to date. Through efforts like the Better Contracting Initiative, we’re working to save billions more by negotiating better terms and prices, which gets an even better deal for taxpayers. Or take the dollars we invest through our Technology Modernization Fund: by deploying funding incrementally, with technologists at the decision-making table, we’ve improved taxpayers’ return on investment and accelerated IT modernization across government. 

GSA public servants are also working tirelessly to optimize our federal building portfolio. Since 2020, we’ve reduced our portfolio’s total size by approximately 11.5 million square feet – and in 2024 alone, we’ve saved $1.8 billion by doing so. In fact, over the next decade and with action by Congress to provide access to the Federal Buildings Fund, we see an opportunity to reduce the government’s footprint up to 30 percent and save $60 billion more.

Likewise, our projects through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure law will save taxpayers hundreds of millions in reduced energy costs, all while creating good jobs, strengthening our national security, and ensuring a healthier future for our kids. GSA’s projects through the Investing in America agenda are expected to support an estimated 15,000 jobs per year across the U.S. during construction, and avoid nearly a half billion dollars in energy costs. Many of these jobs are with domestic manufacturers who are answering GSA’s call to produce American-made construction materials in ways that are cleaner than their conventional equivalents – and without additional costs.

None of this is achievable without our most important asset: our people. Over the past few years, GSA’s Federal Employee Viewpoint Scores have risen consistently, making us one of the best places to work in government. 

As I look back over my time at GSA, that’s what I’ll remember most of all. A team that takes pride in public service and uses every day as an opportunity to make people’s lives better. A team that works hard to make smart investments and brings all their expertise, creativity, and innovation to bear. A team that meets the American people where they are and builds trust in government’s ability to deliver on their behalf.

That’s why GSA was the one place in government that I really wanted to serve – and, now that I have done so, I’m more confident than ever in this team. Their courage, imagination, and determination will serve our nation for many years into the future.