Named as Chief of Staff for the U.S. General Services Administration effective July 3, 2006, John F. Phelps arrived at the agency after having served as Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Canyon Chapter of the American Red Cross in Phoenix, Arizona since 2005.

Effective September 24, 2008, Phelps serves concurrently as acting Regional Administrator, National Capital Region. As the head of GSA’s largest region, Phelps oversees a real estate portfolio of 93 million square feet--an inventory of over 880 government–owned and leased facilities that house nearly 300,000 federal workers.

In his role as GSA’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Phelps will oversee the Office of the Administrator, ensure effective and efficient staffing of agency programs and projects, guide the agency’s continuity of operations planning and emergency response efforts, and maintain liaison and facilitate coordination with GSA Regions.

Before coming to GSA, Mr. Phelps, a resident of Arizona, also previously served as Deputy Director of the Arizona Office of Homeland Security in the Office of the Governor.  Prior to his post with the State of Arizona, Mr. Phelps, the son of a career Army officer, served nearly 25 years in the U.S. Army.  He retired from active duty as a Colonel in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in 2003. During his military career, he served in a variety of assignments as an intelligence officer and Army attorney.  His Army career culminated in his assignment as the chief of staff of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency in Arlington, VA.  Mr. Phelps’ areas of expertise include government ethics and policy, administrative and constitutional law, homeland security, and executive leadership.

Mr. Phelps graduated magna cum laude from St. John’s University in Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in government.  He holds a juris doctorate from the University of Arizona College of Law, and master of laws degrees from the Judge Advocate General’s School and the University of Virginia School of Law.

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