U.S. General Services Administration
Employees pay tribute to former Regional Administrator Michael Copeland
After a full day that included leading a Greater Kansas City Federal Executive Board meeting, speaking to Region 6 FAS employees at a virtual all-hands meeting, and greeting new employees during an onboarding session, Regional Administrator Michael Copeland passed away peacefully at his home in the early hours of Aug. 20.
“Michael was beloved at GSA, in Region 6, across the Kansas City community, and in his hometown of Olathe, Kansas, where he was the longest-serving mayor,” GSA Administrator Emily Murphy wrote in an email announcing his passing to Region 6 employees later that day.
Copeland was sworn in as the GSA Heartland Region Administrator Jan. 8, 2018. In his time with GSA, he made it a priority to connect with employees while working collaboratively with Federal Acquisition Service Regional Commissioner Mary Ruwwe and Public Buildings Service RC Kevin Rothmier.
Ruwwe was named Acting Regional Administrator in the days following Copeland’s death.
“Mike wasn’t entirely interested in hosting quarterly town hall meetings, as previous RAs had done, because he didn’t want to take any focus off the work being done in our business lines and staff offices, and he wasn’t looking for a stage to stand on,” Ruwwe said in a message to Region 6 employees Aug. 27. “Instead, he started sending email updates. Rarely did a month pass when he wasn’t sharing his thoughts and important information directly with everyone in the region.”
“He was a wonderful Regional Administrator. A great Mayor for the City of Olathe. A beloved community leader. But, first and foremost, he was a loving husband and a caring dad. He will be missed,” she added.
He is survived by his wife, Maria, and children Olivia, Abigail and Joshua — among others.
Several GSA employees shared condolences and memories of Copeland on his online obituary guestbook. Others offered their thoughts directly with regional leadership:
- My deepest sympathy goes out to Michael's family. I found Michael to be one of the most down to earth people I knew. He always had a smile and asked how are you doing when he walked into the room to address you personally. It was like talking to an old friend that you had known for years. We will greatly miss him. — Michelle Aguilar
- Such a kind and caring gentleman with a warm heart and smile that spoke a thousand words. He will be truly missed. — Anne Anderson
- Always smiling, always positive, very approachable gentleman. He will be sorely missed. — Cindy Clark
- I was first struck by how Mike used the Socratic method in meetings to help us think critically. He would say "Should we do this? What do you think?" It was so much better than saying "You should do it this way." It made us feel like we had the good idea. He was the epitome of a servant leader. — Alison Kohler
- Please pass my condolences to his family. — Jose M. Mendez
- My deepest sympathy to the family of Michael Copeland. Michael will be very much missed. — Patty Pelikan
- Sending thoughts and prayers for Mike, his family, and his many friends. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Mike. Great leader, great person. He will be missed by so many. — David Rumsey
- I am deeply heartbroken. I could always count on Mike to bring a smile to our faces. Mike was a great leader and was always ready to tackle challenges in a positive manner. He was definitely a kind public servant and effective servant leader. He will be missed. — Angela Taylor
- My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Copeland during this very difficult time. — Kristy Wilbur
During his meeting with FAS employees on his last day, Copeland ended his updates by saying “Stay strong, stay healthy and stay committed.”
“I feel that’s the message he wanted to leave for all of us moving forward,” Ruwwe said.