GSA names new chief acquisition officer

Molly Wilkinson has been named the General Services Administration’s chief acquisition officer, effective today, according to an announcement by GSA Administrator Lurita Doan.

Wilkinson most recently was the Labor Department’s associate deputy secretary for management. She gave counsel and support to the department’s top officials on internal agency operations regarding management, budget and personnel issues, the announcement stated.

“GSA is very fortunate to have someone of Molly Wilkinson’s caliber as our chief acquisition officer,” Doan said. “Her contributions over the coming months will greatly help this office achieve its mission.”

“I look forward to working alongside members of the administrator’s team and becoming a part of the energy and professionalism that characterizes GSA,” Wilkinson said in the announcement.

GSA’s Office of the Chief Acquisition Officer develops and reviews acquisition policies, procedures and related training for GSA and federal acquisition professionals through the Federal Acquisition Institute, Civilian Acquisition Advisory Committee, Federal Acquisition Regulation, and GSA’s acquisition manual and training programs.

The agency’s previous CAO, Emily Murphy, left the agency for the private sector in January. She worked nearly two years as GSA’s first CAO. Vince Warrick, GSA’s associate administrator of the Office of Performance Improvement, had been acting CAO since February.

Wilkinson worked at the Defense Department prior to her work at Labor. At DOD, she was special projects coordinator for the Iraqi National Conference and special adviser to the Iraqi Supreme Commission in 2004, where she managed American security, logistics and administrative support, according to the GSA announcement.