Ex-GSA chief of staff to return as administrator
Obama names Martha Johnson to serve as head of agency.
President Obama named Martha Johnson, a former chief of staff of the General Services Administration, to serve as administrator of the agency late Friday.
Johnson is currently the vice president of culture at Computer Sciences Corp., a position she has held since 2007. Prior to that, she was a vice president at SRA International, where she provided consulting services to such agencies as the Labor and Homeland Security departments.
Johnson served as chief of staff at GSA from 1996 to 2001, under then-administrator David Barram. Before that, she was assistant deputy secretary of the Commerce Department from 1993 to 1996. In the early months of the Clinton administration, Johnson served in the Office of Presidential Personnel.
Earlier this year, Johnson was a co-chair of the Obama transition team that assessed GSA operations after the election. Since then, she has been rumored to be a leading candidate for the administrator's job.
Paul Prouty, a 38-year GSA veteran, has been serving as acting administrator of the agency since late January.
Johnson's nomination must be approved by the Senate.
Click here for the full text of the Obama administration announcement of Johnson's appointment.