GSA acquisition chief may face steep learning curve

The former Labor Department official tapped to serve as the General Services Administration's chief acquisition officer has little experience with procurement issues, observers said this week.

Molly Wilkinson, who stepped into the job Monday, most recently served as Labor's associate deputy secretary for management. In that capacity, she counseled senior staff members on agency operations, including budget and personnel issues.

In 2004, Wilkinson served at the Defense Department as a special projects coordinator for the Iraqi National Conference, a group of about 1,100 Iraqi leaders convened to elect an assembly, and as special adviser to the Iraqi Supreme Commission, a planning group for the conference. Those roles required her to manage security, logistics and administrative support.

A former GSA executive said in an e-mail on the condition of anonymity that this is "just what GSA needs ... a CAO with no acquisition experience."

Warren Suss, president of Suss Consulting Inc. in Jenkintown, Pa., said Wilkinson's Pentagon experience may help her, but it does not seem to be acquisition-related.

"This is the senior GSA policy role focused on federal acquisition policy," he said. "Seems like she's going to have a pretty steep learning curve for this kind of role. There's a big list of important acquisition policy issues facing the government."

The agency's chief acquisition officer is responsible for developing and reviewing contracting policies, and establishing related training for GSA employees and other federal acquisition professionals. Wilkinson replaced Emily Murphy, who left GSA earlier this year to return to the private sector.

GSA Administrator Lurita Doan said the agency is "very fortunate to have someone of Molly Wilkinson's caliber as our chief acquisition officer."

Wilkinson in turn stated she looks "forward to working alongside members of the administrator's team and becoming a part of the energy and professionalism that characterizes GSA."

A GSA spokeswoman declined to say whether Wilkinson had other experience on her resume directly related to acquisition. The spokeswoman said the new CAO would be giving interviews in a few weeks.

Wilkinson began her public service work in the New York State legislature in 1991 and was appointed by Gov. George Pataki to positions focused on refugee and immigrant advocacy, contract law, policy and legislation.

After more than 10 years in New York, Wilkinson pursued opportunities to serve in the Bush administration. She graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., in 1989, and earned a law degree from New York's Albany Law School in 1996. Wilkinson lives in Alexandria, Va.