Johnson announces retirement from GSA

John Johnson, assistant commissioner for Integrated Technology Services at the General Services Administration's Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), announced his retirement this morning in an e-mail message to employees.

Johnson's last day at GSA will be May 2. Ed O'Hare, currently chief information officer at FAS, will take over Johnson’s role, Johnson said in an interview today with reporters.

“It was very tough at times, and we had a lot of work to complete with both limited resources and competing pressures, but together we did it!” Johnson wrote in the e-mail message.

His decision comes on the heels of the award of the $50 billion, 10-year Alliant governmentwide acquisition contract that GSA announced March 27. Numerous protests and a court decision a year ago kept delaying the award date. In the interview, Johnson said he thought "it was a good time for myself and the organization to make the transition." He later added that he didn’t want to leave before Alliant was awarded.

“Now that [Integrated Technology Services] is firmly situated on a path to success and the bulk of our contracting activity is complete, it is time for me to think about what new challenges lie ahead for me personally and the many ways that I can continue to serve my country,” he wrote in the e-mail message. “I have been blessed with a wonderfully rich suite of experiences that have helped shape who I am today.”

Johnson cited several milestones, including merging GSA’s Federal Technology Service and Federal Supply Service to form FAS at the same time the agency was awarding some of the largest federal information technology and telecommunications contracts.

In the past several years, his office awarded:

• Satellite Services-II.
• The Networx Enterprise and Networx Universal telecommunications contracts.
• Contracts for instituting Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, which mandates a system of credentialing for government employees and contractors.
• Veterans Technology Services GWAC, an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity IT contract set aside for businesses owned by service-disabled veterans.
• Alliant and Alliant Small Business GWACs.

“As if that weren’t enough, we also ran a steady and growing business that represents nearly one-third of the federal government IT market,” Johnson wrote.

In September 2000, GSA officials chose Johnson to be the Federal Technology Service's assistant commissioner for service development. He took on his current position as FAS’ assistant commissioner in 2006 when the office was created.

“John’s leadership and deep industry knowledge have been critical to GSA’s ability to respond and adapt to customers’ rapidly changing information technology needs,” GSA Acting Administrator Paul Prouty said in a statement. “He will be missed.”

“John’s commitment to ensuring the federal government has access to cutting-edge technology has been critical to securing our nation’s IT infrastructure at the best value possible,” FAS Commissioner Jim Williams said. “His work will pay dividends to the federal government and the American taxpayer for years to come.”