Government Eagle Award
By
Chris Riotta
Laura J. Stanton has set a tone for excellent communication, partnership and leadership in the federal acquisition community.
The General Services Administration is in the middle of shepherding federal agencies through a wholesale transition to next-generation telecommunications services, guided by its Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions program and, in large part, thanks to the leadership of Laura J. Stanton.
As the leader of IT acquisition for GSA, Stanton oversees more than 6,000 contracts and $32 billion in IT spending annually with exceptional leadership and a steadfast focus on top-tier customer service. She has helped GSA establish some of the most trusted and utilized IT vehicles across state and federal governments, including Alliant, Polaris, 8(a) STARS and the EIS Program, in addition to a wide variety of IT Schedule 70 products and services.
Mary Davie, a former assistant commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service’s Office of Integrated Technology Services from 2011 to 2017, said Stanton’s track record reflects a spirit of innovation and unending collaboration with agency partners and industry stakeholders to address some of the most challenging IT issues impacting the federal government.
“There has been a lot going on over the last year, and [Stanton] has led the organization in a way that gives agencies the confidence that the portfolio is not only positioned to support them, but that they are in a partnership,” said Davie. “She’s always willing to meet people where they are. She spends a lot of time investing in organizations and making herself accessible. She’s a wonderful leader, not only for the organization, but a leader of people and working with people.”
Stanton has made interagency collaboration a major facet of her role, meeting regularly with officials at the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy, the departments of Justice and Homeland Security, legislators on Capitol Hill and industry partners to coordinate on IT acquisition solutions that are relevant and evolving.
With the administration’s continued push to fortify national cybersecurity and critical infrastructure against digital intrusions, Stanton and her team have worked with agencies like the Department of Defense to better understand what technologies are required for organizations to continue enhancing their cyber posture while implementing zero trust architectures.
Stanton and her team also provided their expertise to support developing countries looking to improve their information and communication technologies acquisitions last year, collaborating with the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the Department of Commerce’s general counsel’s office. Her team delivered consultation sessions to officials from several countries on topics like smart IT buying, 5G, cloud and cyber. She also served as the government co-chair of ACT-IAC’s 2022 Executive Leadership Conference, a government and industry technology event which saw over 900 participants and was considered a major success.
Whether it’s leveraging innovative technology solutions through new contract vehicles, working across the federal landscape to streamline IT acquisitions or bringing a collaborative spirit to cross-agency initiatives, Stanton has set the tone for excellent communication, partnership and leadership throughout the federal government.
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