Editorial: A glimmer of hope

The Bush administration’s nomination of Virginia businesswoman Lurita Alexis Doan to be the new administrator of the General Services Administration is a shrewd move that has offered the first glimmer of hope for that troubled agency in a long time.

If the Senate approves her nomination, she will be the 32nd GSA administrator and the first woman to hold the position.

We give the White House credit for making an unusual selection. Doan is not well-known in the government information technology community — or even by those who follow GSA closely — but she has an impressive résumé. She started a company that did business with a number of agencies and held a GSA schedule contract and other governmentwide acquisition contracts.

So she has some experience with government contracting and GSA. She has also donated generously to Republican campaigns, which could help her get assistance from the White House and Capitol Hill when she needs it. And it is likely that Doan will need it because she faces some daunting challenges.

The first one, which is largely out of her control, is to get confirmed. However, senators must ask some important questions. Doan has led a successful company, but lawmakers are likely to have concerns about the scalability of her skills. They must conduct a thorough evaluation as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, GSA’s acting leaders should be commended for the work they have done in the six months since former administrator Stephen Perry stepped down. Now GSA needs senior political leadership positions filled so the agency can deal with its problems. Doan’s nomination has already lifted the spirits of GSA’s employees. We hope she takes advantage of that goodwill to meet with important stakeholders and address difficult issues in a forthright and open manner.