GSA: Trouble at the top

Martha Johnson, nominee to lead the General Services Administration as its administrator, said she can restore equilibrium to the procurement agency, which has had turbulent times during the past few years. Johnson, if confirmed, would be the fifth administrator in 14 months.

Past administrators:

• Paul Prouty. Jan. 22 to present. As the Obama administration arrived in Washington, President Barack Obama chose Prouty, a regional administrator with experience with green buildings, as acting administrator. GSA has been given the complex task of making federal buildings environmentally friendly with money from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

• Jim Williams. Bush nominated Williams to become GSA adminstrator on June 25, 2008, but the Senate did not confirm him because he was involved in some controversial contract negotiations with Sun Microsystems. However, the White House appointed him acting administrator Aug. 30, 2008. Williams has returned to his original position as commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service.

• David Bibb. April 30, 2008, to Aug. 30, 2008. Bibb, GSA's deputy administrator, took charge after the White House pushed Lurita Doan out of the top spot.

• Lurita Doan. May 31, 2006, to April 29, 2008. Doan came to the administrator's office like a flash and left in the same way. She riled many people in Washington, from inspectors general to members of Congress. The White House forced her to resign from her position April 29, 2008.