GSA #10508

June 9, 2008
Contact:  Steve Hoffman (202) 219-1805
steven.hoffman@gsa.gov    

WASHINGTON – U.S. General Services Administration Acting Administrator David Bibb today named Leslie Angus Nicholson as the General Counsel of GSA, effective June 9, 2008.

“GSA has gained an important and highly qualified senior executive in Mr. Nicholson,” Bibb said. “His background and experience make him uniquely qualified to fill this critical position, and I look forward to working closely with him.”

Prior to joining GSA, Nicholson was the President and Chief Executive Officer for Kenwood Capital, LLC, located in Washington, DC.  Before that, Mr. Nicholson was Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Chevy Chase Bank, where he created and managed the legal department of the $12 billion financial institution.  Previously, he was a partner and Chairman of the Litigation Department at Shaw Pittman, LLC, now Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman.

Nicholson said, “I appreciate both the opportunity to serve the public and President Bush as well as the honor of being asked to join the outstanding team at GSA. Everyone who works for, or with, the federal government understands the vital role played by GSA in providing quality government services throughout the country.”

The GSA General Counsel is the chief legal officer of the agency and is responsible for legally sound implementation of GSA's mission responsibilities nationwide.  Assisting the General Counsel in managing the Office are three Associate General Counsels who serve as division chiefs in Central Office.

Nicholson received his B.A. from Louisiana State University, and his law degree from Vanderbilt University’s School of Law in Nashville, Tennessee. 

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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.
• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles. 
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 420 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.

Did You Know?  Twenty-five percent of GSA’s owned buildings are historic.