Davie Assumes IT Category Management Role at OMB
Published: June 15, 2016
Mary Davie, GSA’s Assistant Commissioner for the Integrated Technology Services, has taken the role of IT category manager for OMB left vacant by the sudden departure of Kim Luke.
Federal News Radio first reported Luke’s departure on June 14th due to a family emergency. Luke only served four months in his position at OMB after spending seven years at HP and 25 years at EDS prior to HP’s acquisition.
The acquisition methodology termed “category management” stems from the private sector and uses the broad purchasing power of a large enterprise to gain procurement efficiencies and lower purchasing costs across the organization.
IT is one of ten categories in federal government’s category management initiative which is meant to improve federal acquisition by eliminating redundancies, increasing efficiency, and delivering more value and savings. OMB announced the slate of category managers in February of this year. Each is to oversee the government’s category management acquisition plan by leading a “Category Management Center of Excellence.”
The IT category is expected to compose nearly $49B in annual federal spending, giving it a prominent position among the list of categories. OMB’s quick replacement of Luke also shows the importance OMB places on this area of federal purchasing. Davie’s operational expertise makes her a smart choice for the position.