DHS' chief procurement officer to step down at the end of the month
By
Chris Riotta
Soraya Correa will retire July 31 after 40 years of federal service.
“It is a bittersweet moment for me to finally make the decision to retire,” Correa said in the emailed statement. “When I reflect upon my federal career, I am fulfilled. I have had the honor of serving alongside many dedicated public servants who selflessly go to work each day to solve great challenges and to serve the American people.”
The Department of Homeland Security's chief procurement officer announced her retirement last week after serving over 40 years in federal service and having worked at the agency since it began operations in 2003.
Soraya Correa confirmed in an email to FCW on Wednesday afternoon that she would be retiring from her post effective July 31. Correa has served as the department's senior procurement executive since 2015, overseeing its contracting workforce of nearly 1,400 individuals while assisting in the development of major acquisition programs and strategies.
Correa described her departure from the agency as a "bittersweet moment" in an email sent to staff last week, adding: "The time is right for me and my family."
"When I started working for the federal government in October 1980 as a GS-4 clerk typist in construction contracts, I never imagined that I would spend the next 40+ years in federal service working at a variety of agencies, serving so many critical missions and working alongside such dedicated individuals," Correa wrote in the email first obtained by Federal News Network.
A recognized leader in federal acquisition, Correa was a Federal 100 Award winner in 2010 and received the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Service in 2018. The department's Procurement Innovation Lab, which Correa helped launch after joining DHS, has served as a model for other federal agencies seeking to adopt emerging acquisition strategies since 2016.