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Karl Reichelt, the General Services Administration's chief of staff and acting chief acquisition officer, resigned late last week and will leave the agency Dec. 31.
Karl Reichelt, the General Services Administration's chief of staff and acting chief acquisition officer, resigned late last week and will leave the agency Dec. 31.
Reichelt said in a letter to GSA administrator Stephen Perry that after 13 years in state, local and federal government, he wanted 'to find a new job opportunity beyond government''
'I'm in the process of weighing a few possibilities and trying to determine what is best for my family and me,' he said in an interview with GCN. 'The areas I've specialized in and I've gained experience in over the years'such as acquisition, real estate, telecommunications and government contracting'are the areas I would end up in when I go to the private sector.'
Perry praised Reichelt for his work.
'[H]e has contributed significantly to achieving GSA performance results,' Perry said. 'He has been a valued member of the GSA team and his knowledge, work ethic and friendship will be sorely missed.'
Reichelt became chief of staff last January, after David Safavian was nominated to be administrator of the Office of Procurement Policy, and acting chief acquisition officer in June. Before coming to GSA headquarters, he was regional administrator for the Northeast and Caribbean region since April 2002.
He said he and Perry had been discussing his decision to move on for a few months. Once President Bush won re-election, he said, it was better to go sooner than later.
'We decided it would be good for me to pursue my opportunities without worrying about a possible conflict with my government duties,' Reichelt said.
Reichelt was instrumental in developing GSA's Get It Right campaign to help correct some of the contracting problems found at its Federal Technology Service.
'When I came aboard at GSA in Washington, we were in some difficult times and I was honored that the administrator made it a personal challenge for me to put GSA back in a solid position when it comes to government acquisition,' he said. 'I hope when I leave GSA, I've made a positive contribution in that area, and I think we have turned the corner.'