McDonough leaving GSA

Frank McDonough, deputy associate administrator for the Office of Intergovernmental Solutions at the General Services Administration and a leader in the agency's Trail Boss program, is leaving for a position in the private sector.

McDonough was responsible for interacting with government officials in other countries, along with state and local governments, to share best practices and exchange information.

"He's made a pretty substantial contribution to government [information technology], not just in the U.S. but around the world," said consultant Paul Brubaker, co-founder of ICG Government LLC. "He's been the point person for the entire federal government to share ideas overseas, to find innovations and bring them here."

"Frank was one of the first people I met upon coming to GSA," said M.J. Jameson, associate administrator of GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Communications, in an e-mail message sent to GSA staff and others in the federal IT community.

"It didn't take long to realize he was someone I could rely on for excellent counsel and advice," Jameson wrote. "Frank is an established presence in Washington, around the country and internationally. At home and abroad, he is considered a leader and a visionary in information management."

Larry Allen, executive vice president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, said McDonough played a leading role in the success of Trail Boss, a program that GSA ran in the 1990s to educate federal IT managers on procurement issues in a time of rapidly changing rules.

"He did a lot of very positive work in those days to train IT leaders, back in the days when GSA had a central role in IT procurement," Allen said. "He always came across as a straight shooter."