OMB names Zielinski as IT category manager

Bill Zielinski was just tapped to lead the governmentwide effort to pay less for IT.

Zielenski, currently deputy assistant commissioner of the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service (Office of IT Category) will also serve as the Office of Management and Budget's governmentwide IT category manager.

In 2015, OMB launched a category management initiative to develop guidance and methods for obtaining lower purchase prices on products and services the federal government buys in large quantities. In 2016, OMB settled on a list of 10 "supercategories" and assigned a lead manager to each.

Zielinski's new role comes as the former acting IT manager, Mary Davie, has seen her responsibilities increase at GSA. Davie, now acting deputy commissioner at FAS, had been OMB's acting IT category manager since 2016. She stepped up to the position after the first IT category manager, former Hewlett Packard executive Kim Luke, left.

Zielinski also serves as the GSA FAS deputy assistant commissioner for category management in the Office of Information Technology Category. He oversees all of GSA's IT category teams, including hardware, software, telecommunications, IT outsourcing, IT consulting, and cybersecurity.

OMB said Zielinski's appointment to federal IT category manager "ensures continuity of Davie's work, and will help both industry and federal agencies continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of IT acquisition across the federal government."

Zielinski has previous experience in IT category management at GSA and also served as CIO of the Social Security Administration.

This article was updated Sept. 14 to reflect Zielenski's current title at GSA.