The General Services Administration has appointed Laura Stanton, deputy commissioner of Federal Acquisition Service, as acting FAS commissioner following the departure of Josh Gruenbaum, a previous Wash100 awardee, Federal News Network reported Friday.
As leadership shifts at FAS, attention remains on how civilian agencies will continue advancing procurement priorities and modernization efforts. These evolving priorities—from AI adoption and cloud infrastructure to cybersecurity, workforce enablement and enterprisewide programs—will be in focus at the 2026 FedCiv Summit. Save your seat now!
In an email obtained by FNN, GSA Administrator Ed Forst said Stanton will serve in the role on an interim basis until the agency names a permanent commissioner. Gruenbaum assumed leadership of FAS in January 2025.
“With Laura at the helm, I am confident that FAS will continue to build upon the significant accomplishments achieved over the last 15 months of President Trump’s administration,” Forst wrote in the email.
According to FNN, sources said Gruenbaum’s next role has not been officially disclosed, though several expect him to work on foreign affairs issues at the White House.
Table of Contents
Who Is Laura Stanton?
Stanton most recently served as deputy commissioner of FAS, a role she assumed in April 2025.
She has spent nearly three decades at GSA, beginning her career as a national management intern in 1997.
Before her appointment as deputy commissioner, Stanton was assistant commissioner for the Office of IT Category within FAS.
Since joining GSA, she has held positions of increasing responsibility, including deputy assistant commissioner for category management; assistant commissioner for enterprise strategy management; and director of program management for the common acquisition platform, according to her LinkedIn profile.
What Procurement Modernization Initiatives Did GSA Advance Under Gruenbaum?
During Gruenbaum’s tenure, GSA pursued several initiatives to improve and modernize the federal procurement process. The agency established the Office of Centralized Acquisition Services within FAS to oversee the federal government’s procurement of common goods and services worth nearly $500 billion annually.
In January, the agency announced the full implementation of Transactional Data Reporting to expand the use of detailed pricing data in acquisition. It also sought industry input on the role, value and pricing practices of IT value-added resellers in the federal procurement marketplace.
GSA also advanced its OneGov strategy by establishing enterprise agreements with major technology providers to standardize pricing and streamline access to IT, cloud and artificial intelligence tools for federal agencies.
Additionally, the agency issued a request for information seeking industry input on an artificial intelligence-driven procurement system designed to further modernize and consolidate acquisition processes across the federal government.
Related Articles
The Department of War is advancing a redesigned Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer initiative following the reauthorization of the programs under the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act. DOW Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies, a 2026 Wash100 honoree, is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the 2026 Digital Transformation Summit this Wednesday, April 22. Register now to hear Davies and other government leaders discuss emerging technologies and efforts to drive defense modernization. DOW said Monday the effort aims to speed up the delivery of advanced capabilities to warfighters while strengthening the defense innovation base
The U.S. Space Force plans to establish a Cislunar Coordination Office, an acquisition task force that will coordinate technology development and planning for cislunar operations, Breaking Defense reported Monday. The 2026 Air and Space Summit, presented by Potomac Officers Club, will be held on July 30. The GovCon event will welcome Air Force and Space Force leaders, as well as industry executives, to discuss advanced technologies and strategies shaping the future of air and space operations. Secure your spot today. What Is the Purpose of the Cislunar Coordination Office? The new office will focus on organizing efforts across government agencies involved
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, has begun testing artificial intelligence and machine learning models to determine whether they can identify early indicators of degradation in submarine air compressors before failure occurs. Don’t miss the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Digital Transformation Summit tomorrow, April 22. Register now to hear high-level discussions on secure AI adoption. Engineers at NSWCPD are evaluating an experimental model that analyzes vibration data from high-pressure air compressors, which support critical submarine functions, Naval Sea Systems Command said Friday, noting that the goal is not only to detect faults but also to assess their progression and estimate