United States Department of Commerce

Obama Taps Anne Rung to be White House Procurement Chief

Former GSA executive praised by her predecessor at OMB.

In a move rumored for months, President Obama on Thursday named Anne Rung, currently a senior adviser in the Office of Management and Budget, to be administrator of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

The office that coordinates regulation and help for contractors has been filled on an acting basis by Lesley Field since Joe Jordan left in January.

Rung spent two years at the General Services Administration, the last as associate administrator of governmentwide policy and chief acquisition officer. She previously was senior director of administration at the Commerce Department, arriving in 2010 after seven years at the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. She also did a stint as congressional director for the Democratic Leadership Council in Washington and was an aide on Capitol Hill. She has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University.

"The president made a great choice in nominating Anne for the position of OFPP Administrator,” Jordan, now president of the public sector division of the private firm FedBid, told Government Executive. “She is smart, experienced in procurement policy at both the federal and state level, and has the right personality for a tough but rewarding job. I know she will partner well with [deputy budget director] Beth Cobert and the amazing OFPP career staff to help maximize taxpayer value while respecting the important role government contractors play in delivering mission-critical goods and services to our federal agencies."

Also, on Thursday, the Senate voted 75-22 to confirm Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to be the new White House budget director.