U.S. General Services Administration
Lea-Suzanne Avila joins Acquisition Management Division
After serving the past two years as building manager of the Charles Evans Whittaker U.S. Courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri, Lea-Suzanne Avila has joined the PBS Acquisition Management Division as a contract specialist.
"We've found experienced contracting officer technical representatives who move into contracting roles are extremely well prepared and make outstanding acquisition professionals, contracting officers, and project team members," said PBS Acquisition Management Division Director David Rumsey. “We are thrilled to have her serving in this new role.”
Avila first joined GSA in 2007 and served as a building management specialist in the Kansas City North Field Office until 2015 — primarily supporting the Richard Bolling Federal Building. She then moved to New York City and served Region 2 as a building manager and senior property manager in the Lower Manhattan Field Office until her return to Kansas City in 2020.
In her new position, Avila will primarily support acquisition actions for the Kansas City North Field Office while working to attain her contracting officer warrant.
What do you look forward to most about this new position?
I am extremely excited to transition to the Acquisition Management Division to diversify my work experience within a new business line. I joined the GSA in April 2007 as an 1176 building management specialist and spent my 15-year career within the Service Center Divisions in R6 and R2. As it pertains to my new specific role, I'm excited about the variety within the work itself for the Kansas City North Field Office. Previously, my view was limited within the courthouse and now I will have the opportunity to connect with the work the field office performs on leases, in the federal building, and in the courthouse.
How do you think your previous experience has prepared you for the new role?
As a building manager, I served as a contracting officer's representative over service contracts (janitorial, operations and maintenance, landscaping, snow removal, move services) and small construction, repair, and alteration projects. Supporting the contracting officer and serving as their representative in the field provided me with a solid foundation to learn acquisition requirements, from award to closeout — especially the experience I gained working in both Region 6 and Region 2; seeing the differences and similarities within the two regions.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I would like to share a note of encouragement to anyone thinking about making a change or possibly diversifying their work experience but possibly too scared to take the first step. After working 15 years as a GSA building manager, I wasn't sure my skills could transfer to different business lines to diversify my work experience. I've always admired those individuals within our agency who have worked with different business lines and worn different hats. I'm incredibly grateful for this opportunity to learn a different aspect of our business while continuing to support the field offices,which will always be my first home.