The General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that the agency’s Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) Commissioner Sonny Hashmi will depart on Dec. 29.
FAS Deputy Commissioner Tom Howder will step into the role on an acting basis upon Hashmi’s departure, the agency said.
Hashmi has led FAS since January 2021, managing GSA’s nationwide acquisition and procurement — overseeing the delivery of products, services, and solutions across government at the best value possible.
“It has been a true honor to help lead the Federal Acquisition Service, an entity that helps the world’s largest buyer get exactly what it needs to serve millions of Americans every day,” Hashmi said in a statement published on Dec. 11. “I’m confident that FAS is better prepared than ever to meet the needs of both its federal partners, who require innovative products and services, as well as the Americans who depend on their government to deliver.”
Hashmi started his career in the Federal government in 2011, serving as GSA’s deputy chief information officer (CIO) and chief technology officer. He served as the agency’s CIO from January 2014 to April 2015 before heading back to the private sector.
“Sonny’s thoughtful and intentional leadership has helped GSA make history. This past year alone, FAS helped federal agencies buy more than $100 billion in mission-enabling products and services, an increase of 36 percent over the last three years. Importantly, more than one-third of that went to small businesses, and nearly half of GSA’s own investment dollars were awarded to small businesses. FAS also saved taxpayers $6 billion through better competition and pricing,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan.
“Sonny has driven GSA to make doing business with the federal government easier for both government and industry – especially small businesses – and we wish him all the best in the future,” she said.
In March of this year, Hashmi came under fire after GSA’s IG released a scathing report exposing officials from the agency that misled Federal organizations for years by falsely claiming that Login.gov met government standards for identity-proofing.
According to the report, GSA knowingly billed customer agencies over $10 million for Login.gov services that purported to meet National Institute of Standards and Technology digital identity guidelines but did not.
“FAS exercised inadequate oversight and management controls over Login.gov’s day-to-day operations, and thus bears responsibility for [Technology Transformation Services (TTS)] and Login.gov’s derelictions. FAS’s failure to establish management controls allowed TTS’s hands-off culture to continue unchecked and empowered Login.gov to mislead customer agencies,” the report states.
Despite this setback, GSA announced a “record” adoption and use of Login.gov in August. The agency noted that, under new leadership, the website has continued to enhance its offerings over the past year and will continue to focus on growing Federal and state partnerships and coordinate industry-leading cross-agency working groups on topics including policy, security, fraud, and equity.
Howder, who will step into Hashmi’s role post-Dec.29, recently received a Presidential Rank Award and has served at GSA for 36 years – including the past four as FAS’s deputy commissioner – helping lead, execute, and provide direction to the FAS workforce.
