Tisone to leave FTS

Tony Tisone, chief financial officer of the Federal Technology Service, is retiring from his post Jan. 31. He will be the second high-level FTS official to announce retirement plans in recent weeks: FTS Commissioner Sandra Bates will end her government career in early February.

The announcements come as Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) prepares to examine the structure of the General Services Administration, of which FTS is a part, and reorganize the agency. FTS has been troubled in recent months as audits have revealed the failure of some employees to follow contracting rules.

Tisone said that after more than three decades in government, he is ready for a new setting.

"Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have had positive work experiences in both the private and public sectors," he said. "I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with and learn from some very talented people throughout my 32 years of public service. Even so, over time I have identified some professional goals that I would like to achieve in industry and academia and I am excited to be pursuing them at this time."

The vacancies in top spots will make reorganization easier to accomplish, said Warren Suss, president of Suss Consulting. The pending reorganization comes at a time when agencies are being especially cost-conscious because of budget pressures, he noted.

"It's a critical time for FTS now," he said. "We're entering into an era where any potentially duplicate function in the government is going to be questioned. There's going to be a lot of focus on cost reduction."