GSA churn... David Bethel

The long list of people -- senior people -- leaving GSA has quietly added another one. J. David Bethel, who has been the associate administrator for the Office of Citizen Services and Communications which, among other things, oversees the USA.gov government portal.

Bethel following on the heels of scores of senior GSA officials who have left the agency, including John Sindelar and Marty Wagner.

Bethel was named to the GSA post in July soon after GSA administrator Lurita Doan took office. He replaced M.J. Pizzella, who left the agency in June to join search giant Google.

Meanwhile, lawmakers passed a continuing resolution that included a measure that would prohibit GSA from putting the Office of Governmentwide Policy under the control of a political.

And there continues to be buzz around GSA that WP reporter Robert O'Harrow Jr. is still focusing on the GSA administrator. O'Harrow has penned a series of hardhitting stories about GSA and Doan, including the most recent one about her attempt to give a no-bid contract to a friend.

Probably not the best time for your communications head to leave, but...

Here is the July anncouncement that Bethel was going to take over:

J. David Bethel today was named as the Associate Administrator for the Office of Citizen Services and Communications (OCSC) at the U.S. General Services Administration, the agency announced. The position became effective July 9.

"I am confident as GSA moves forward to face new challenges, David's extensive expertise and depth of commitment will prove to be valuable assets," said GSA Administrator Lurita Doan.

As head of OCSC, Mr. Bethel will be responsible for an office that is closely tied to President Bush's management agenda which calls for making government more citizen-centered, results-oriented and expands the use of Internet technology for E-Government. Combining resources from the Office of Communications, Federal Consumer Information Center (FCIC), the Office of Intergovernmental Solutions, the Office of Information Technology as well as the Office of FirstGov operations, OCSC focuses its efforts on providing citizens, businesses, government and the media with the means to easily access information and information services available from the federal government.

Additionally, in his role as principal communications executive for the agency, Mr. Bethel will serve as GSA's primary spokesman and will advise the Administrator on communications and all matters of general public interest.

With more than 25 years spent in politics and government, Mr. Bethel most recently served as GSA's Deputy Associate Administrator of Communications within the Office of Citizen Services and Communications.

Mr. Bethel graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors from Tulane University in New Orleans, La.