The Federal Acquisition Service has a new commissioner.

Alan Thomas was sworn in June 26 to lead the General Services Administration's acquisition arm following a merger with the fledgling Technology Transformation Service.

Thomas was tapped by the Trump administration following its June 7 announcement that it was folding the TTS into FAS and shifting the latter's commissioner from a career position to one filled by a political appointee.

Thomas — a former program analyst in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics at the U.S. Department of Defense and a former Department of the Army management analyst — proceeds former commissioner Tom Sharpe, who led the FAS for the past four years.

Following the merger announcement, Sharpe and Deputy Commissioner Kevin Youel Page both resigned effective June 24.

Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony at GSA headquarters, Thomas thanked Sharpe and Page for the leadership and foundation they've provided to FAS, things he said he would augment.

"It's now our charge to build up on that foundation and help execute an ambitious reform agenda that's been laid out by this administration," he said. "The acquisition and technology professionals at GSA are really in the white hot of that reform agenda, and together we are going to make a lasting impact and we are going to have some fun doing it."

GSA officials said Thomas would help align FAS with the White House’s business and technology initiatives, including the Office of American Innovation and the American Technology Council.

"There's really one qualification that stands out above all, and it's not something you are going to hear him talk about, he is a good dude," GSA acting Administrator Tim Horne said. "That's really the most important qualification, I think, for having somebody here; somebody who embraces the challenge and the privilege of public service, somebody who cares about the employees at GSA, somebody who's going to work hard to make this a better place."

In addition to his DoD background, Thomas also touted his private sector experience with FAS systems — including accessing federal markets on IT Schedule 70 and managing profit-and-loss margins for a prime contractor on the Alliant Small Business contract — to provide a multi-faceted approach to his vision of the new merger of the acquisition and technology services.

"My philosophy and approach for combining the mission and the resources of TTS and FAS is to, first, listen intently, starting with the internal GSA team and our customers, then widening to encompass our industry partners and external stakeholders," he said.

"I want to ensure that we are providing the best possible products and services to our partners in government and delivering value for American taxpayers."

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