Meeting — Dec. 5, 2023

The GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Full Committee meeting convened for a virtual public meeting at 1:00 PM EST on December 5, 2023, with Troy Cribb, Chair, and Cassius Butts, Co-Chair, presiding.

In accordance with FACA, as amended, 5 U.S.C. App 2, the meeting was open to the public from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST

Meeting agenda

Committee Members Present:

Troy Cribb, Chairperson — Partnership for Public Service
Cassius Butts, Co-Chair — Global Leader Group
Farad Ali — Asociar, LLC
Denise Bailey — Philadelphia International Airport
Luke Bassis — Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Richard Beutel — George Mason Center for Government Contracting
Leslie Cordes — Ceres
Darryl Daniels — Jacobsen Daniels Assoc.
Nicole Darnall — Arizona State University
Antonio Doss — Small Business Administration
Mark Hayden — New Mexico General Services Department
Mamie Mallory — Mallory & Associates LLC
Dr. Amlan Mukherjee — WAP Sustainability Consulting
Anne Rung — Varis, LLC
Kristin Seaver — General Dynamics Information Technology
Nigel Stephens — U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce
Clyde Thompson — GovStrive, LLC
Anish Tilak — Rocky Mountain Institute
Keith Tillage — Tillage Construction, LLC
Dr. David Wagger — Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
Dr. Kimberly Wise White — American Chemistry Council

Absent: C. Gail Bassette, Susan Lorenz-Fisher, David Malone, Deryl McKissack, Jennie Romer, Steven Schooner, Stacy Smedley

Guest Speakers & Presenters:

Julia Comeau — Director, Global Sustainability Policy, Hewlett Packard
Kelsey Kober — Director, Federal Procurement Policy, Hewlett Packard
Elena Hoffnagle — Director, Procurement Research & Development, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Labs
Kailey Burger Ayogu — Managing Director, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Labs
Neha Gupta — Senior Advisor, Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Labs

GSA Staff Present

Krystal Brumfield — Associate Administrator
Jeff Koses — Senior Procurement Executive
Boris Arratia — Designated Federal Officer
Stephanie Hardison — Deputy Designated Federal Officer
David Cochennic — GAP FAC Support Team
Skylar Holloway — GAP FAC Support Team
Heather Easterly — Closed Captioner
Joel Duggan — ASL Interpreter
Heidi Cooke — ASL Interpreter

CALL TO ORDER

Boris Arratia, Deputy Federal Officer, opened the public meeting by welcoming the group. He highlighted the committee’s purpose under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), emphasizing FACA’s purpose of fostering transparency and collaboration across sectors to address the federal government’s challenges. Boris mentioned the ongoing work since the committee’s launch in September 2022 and noted that the meetings are recorded and made available on the website for future reference before reminding the public that there will be time for comments at the end of the meeting. He also encouraged the public to submit comments via email to gapfac@gsa.gov. Boris then performed a roll call to confirm attendance and a quorum. After the quorum was met, he introduced GSA’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Government-Wide Policy, Krystal Brumfield.

GSA Leadership Remarks

Krystal Brumfield, GSA’s Associate Administrator for the Office of Government-wide Policy, expressed gratitude for the GAP FAC’s work in addressing sustainability and climate change through federal acquisition. She highlighted the potential impact of the committee’s initial recommendations, including broadening environmental considerations, expanding the supplier pool for sustainable goods, and reducing reliance on single-use plastics. She said that the GAP FAC makes a huge difference in shaping progress toward sustainability, and she thanked each member for their contributions. GAP FAC has helped GSA’s thinking in creating high-impact efforts to improve sustainability, and GSA remains committed to a whole-of-government approach in addressing climate change. Krystal concluded by handing it over to Jeff Koses, GSA’s Senior Procurement Executive, for his remarks.

Jeff Koses expressed his gratitude for the committee’s hard work and provided an update on the progress made by GSA since receiving the committee’s initial recommendations in May.

Three recommendations adopted by the GAP FAC came from the Acquisition Workforce subcommittee: the implementation of a change acceleration strategy, making sustainability a core capability in the federal acquisition workforce, and creating acquisition sustainability experts through a new sustainability certification. Progress by GSA in addressing these recommendations includes integrating sustainability considerations into acquisition review boards for large acquisitions and drafting a policy to designate sustainability leads within each contracting activity. GSA also is working on building a community of sustainability champions and has redesigned a government-wide training class on sustainability and climate risk management. GSA is also conducting training for its customer agencies on sustainability practices.

Jeff went on to discuss two GAP FAC recommendations originating from the Industry Partnerships subcommittee, including a recommendation on identifying, engaging and onboarding innovative new entrants. He reported that GSA is actively working on building an industrial base for low embodied carbon building materials, utilizing funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to incorporate these materials into federal construction projects. GSA sees a definite need for more new entrants here, especially with money flowing through state and local governments. Also, as part of supporting the nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, policies were changed to allow lessors to purchase EV support products and services through Federal Acquisition Services (FAS) contracts, supporting sustainability efforts and new entrants in the EV charging station network.

Jeff went on to note that the GAP FAC’s Policy and Practice subcommittee’s recommendation centered on reducing single-use plastics and packaging. Jeff explained that GSA has proposed a change to the GSAR (GSA’s supplement to the FAR) , aiming to incentivize federal supply schedule contractors to offer single-use plastic-free packaging. He anticipated that the rule may be out for comment in early 2024. The draft rule, currently under interagency review, includes the establishment of new icons for online systems, such as GSA Advantage, to highlight single-use plastic-free packaging options. He concluded by expressing eagerness to hear the committee’s next set of recommendations before handing it over to Troy Cribb and Cassius Butts, the chairs of the committee.

GAP FAC Chair & Co-Chair Remarks

Troy Cribb, the committee’s chair, expressed gratitude to GSA for their support in implementing the committee’s May 2024 recommendations. She also commended the subcommittee chairs, co-chairs, and members, as well as the GSA support team, for their dedication and long hours in developing today’s proposals. Troy expressed excitement about the guest speakers before turning it over to Cassius Butts, the commitee’s co-chair.

Cassius Butts acknowledged the dedication of committee members in developing the set of recommendations, some of which build on GAP FAC’s prior recommendations and some of which are new. These recommendations will not only drive sustainability but also improve federal acquisition processes. He provided a preview of the ten recommendations:

Acquisition Workforce Subcommittee

• Third party training selection
• Emphasize experiential learning
• Data standardization, collection, and training
• Artificial intelligence task force

Industry Partnerships Subcommittee

• Identify, engage and onboard innovative new entrants leveraging Challenge.gov
• Implement a GSA task force to explore partnerships and next steps for advancing a maturity model
• Lighthouse - a network of networks – to expand GSA’s reach to the potential vendor community

Policy and Practice Subcommittee

• Reducing PFAS in federal procurement
• Reducing human health risks associated with federal procurement
• Sustainable procurement center of excellence

Cassius expressed gratitude for the audience’s time and attention before turning it over to Boris to introduce the speakers.

Hewlett Packard Speakers

Julia Comeau and Kelsey Kober, from Hewlett Packard (HP) spoke to the committee about their journey in sustainability. Julia is the Sustainability Policy Lead, focusing on public policy decisions and advocacy strategies for Hewlett Packard’s 2030 sustainability impact. Kelsey, the Director of Federal Procurement Policy, works on strategies for procurement policies promoting cybersecurity and sustainability.

Julia expressed excitement about HP’s sustainable procurement initiatives. HP has a global presence with over 58,000 employees in 180 countries with a sustainability vision focusing on climate action, human rights, and digital equity as follows:

Climate Action:

• The company is committed to halving emissions by 2030.
• HP aims to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040.
• They are investing in renewable electricity and setting science-based targets.
• A circularity goal involves achieving 75% circularity for products and packaging by 2030.

Human Rights:

• HP focuses on diversity, aiming to double the number of Black and African American executives at the VP level and above.
• The company has one of the most diverse boards in the tech sector.
• Social and environmental assessments are integral to supplier selection.

Digital Equity:

• HP aims to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people globally.
• Initiatives include partnering with NGOs to provide free IT and business skills training through HP Life.
• Collaborations with organizations like NABU and Girl Rising focus on bridging the digital divide through education and technology solutions.

Julia turned it over to Kelsey, who emphasized the crucial role of both the U.S. government and private industry in addressing climate change. Recognizing GSA’s leadership in promoting sustainability, she stressed the need for the government to leverage its immense buying power to encourage sustainability in the industrial base.

Julia then introduced a set of recommendations and resources for GSA to consider when incorporating sustainability into their purchasing decisions. The recommendations covered different topics to include: eco labels, product and packaging considerations, social and human rights aspects, and business considerations. Additional details can be found in her presentation: Sustainable Procurement the HP Way.

Hewlett Packard Presentation Q&A

Q: Farad Ali: Do you have a phased approach or are you providing a grandfather timeframe for small businesses to recognize sustainability? Considering that these businesses may face capacity challenges in meeting ESG requirements, what is your strategy or pathway for ensuring their inclusion?

A: Kelsey Kober: A phased approach makes sense as small businesses are not going to have the same resources as large businesses. Ample information from the government and signaling that this is important is crucial. We’re envisioning a mentor protege program where a big company can partner with a small one and share best practices.

Q: Mark Hayden: Is there a U.S. ranking of companies for sustainability practices or a sustainability measurement of some sort? Where does Hewlett Packard fit in this ranking? Additionally, is there an international equivalent, and where does Hewlett Packard stand if so?

A: Julia Comeau: There is not a ranking in the U.S. or internationally which is why we rely on many third-party rankers and raters. There is a website that shows Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) rankings (a snapshot of a company’s disclosure and environmental performance) and whether companies set science-based targets, but again, it’s pointing to third-party external entities, not anything done by the U.S. or other governments themselves.

Q: Nicole Darnall: Can you elaborate on how you’re engaging your suppliers and assessing their carbon emissions? How do these strategies align with your carbon-neutral goal?

A: Julia Comeau: For HP, 98% of our value chain emissions are from scope three, with 30% from customer use and 70% from supplier usage and the broader supply chain. To address this, we employ a targeted approach, working closely with our suppliers. Through initiatives like the supplier engagement scorecard, we assist them in setting science-based targets and provide resources to understand and reduce their emissions. As a large company, we leverage our capabilities to help suppliers procure renewable energy and collaborate with local governments and utilities. Additionally, our membership in the responsible business alliance enhances supplier engagement. We maintain a hands-on approach, fostering open dialogue with our suppliers through various carbon reduction groups at HP.

Q: Richard Beutel: Could you elaborate on the expectations placed on the acquisition workforce regarding sustainability and the need for increased expertise and training? Is the current level of expertise considered deficient, and what additional training might be necessary?

A: Kelsey Kober: The acquisition workforce is dealing with a substantial workload. We believe that signaling the importance of sustainability and its downstream benefits is crucial. Jeff Koses’ proposed training suggestions are commendable and a step forward. It’s essential for the acquisition workforce to be informed about best practices and what to look for in solicitations, allowing for a standardized approach to incorporating sustainability.

Harvard Government Performance Lab, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Speakers

Stephanie Hardison welcomed three guest speakers from the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab: Elena Hoffnagle, Director of Procurement Research and Development; Kailey Burger Ayogu, Managing Director of Government Performance Labs; and Neha Gupta, Senior Advisor of Government Performance. These speakers are recognized for their role in shaping the integration of sustainability into the procurement process.

Kailey Burger Ayogu, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the discussion. Harvard’s Government Performance Lab is a research and technical assistance entity that engages in intensive projects, offering hands-on support to jurisdictions. These efforts involve embedding staff within jurisdictions such as Seattle, Jackson, Syracuse and the states of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

Transitioning to Neha Gupta, Kailey highlighted the importance of integrating sustainability into procurement practices. Neha highlighted the prioritization of the climate crisis among cities, counties, and states. Jurisdictions are incorporating environmental and climate action plans into their policies, emphasizing aspects like the use of renewable energy, electric fleets, water conservation, and eliminating toxicity. She then spoke of the opportunities to embed sustainability in the procurement life cycle, emphasizing collaboration between sustainability and purchasing staff

Elena Hoffnagle then elaborated on key challenges. One challenge is the lack of integration, where sustainability strategies are often treated as an afterthought or tacked on at the end of the procurement process. This lack of integration creates resistance among acquisition staff who feel overwhelmed by additional requirements.

Another challenge involves identifying purchases with the most impact on meeting climate goals. Jurisdictions struggle to review all goods and services, leading to difficulties in prioritizing spending categories. There is a strong need for improved procurement planning, including sustainability strategies at the project’s conception.

The third challenge relates to the use of low-bid approaches that do not consider the true cost of a product. Washington State’s approach considers factors beyond price, including past performance and life cycle costing. Promising practices include developing specifications for common sustainable purchases and prioritizing key procurements for sustainability.

Engaging and supporting the vendor community present two challenges. The first is the perception that adding sustainability specifications risks excluding smaller businesses. Elena suggested thinking about resources to support competitiveness rather than eliminating vendors. The second challenge involves limited opportunities for vendors to share innovative ideas during the typical solicitation process. Strategies include more frequent engagement with vendors and providing technical assistance.

Key takeaways include the need for increased sharing of tools and resources, prioritizing sustainability efforts, overcoming challenges in moving past the pilot phase, enforcing sustainability policies, engaging more with the private sector, and continuing the conversation through networks. Additional details can be found in their presentation: Strategic Procurement for Sustainability - Insights from the Field.

Harvard Government Performance Lab, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Q&A

Q: Mark Hayden: Have you looked at an AI solution for purchasing and is that helpful?

A: Elena Hoffnagle: The impact of AI on purchasing will be dramatic in the coming years. Many E-procurement systems used by governments already incorporate AI aspects. This trend is seen as a potential shift toward making purchasing less administrative and more strategically focused.

A: Kailey Burger Ayogu: To bridge the gap between policy and desired outcomes, we should elevate the status of procurement, empowering leaders to advocate for alignment with policy goals. This involves building strategic capabilities and creating feedback loops for executive leadership to engage with procurement chiefs. Additionally, the federal government should play a leadership role, incorporating insights from city and state levels into guidelines and taking a bold stance in sustainability to guide and inspire cities and states to follow suit.

Acquisition Workforce Subcommittee

Nicole Darnall, Subcommittee Chair, and Anne Rung, Subcommittee Co-Chair presented four recommendations:

1. Third-Party Training Selection:
   • Purpose: Encourage GSA to issue a request for information to explore third-party training opportunities for sustainability and climate training within the federal acquisition life cycle.
   • Criteria for Selection:
     • Reputation and Independence: Focus on training organizations with a strong reputation and independence, avoiding affiliation with specific industries or agencies for impartiality.
     • Adaptability and Quality: Emphasize the need for training that stays updated on evolving climate knowledge, regulations, and social concerns. Assessments should be included to ensure effective learning and skill development.
     • Track Record and Affordability: Look for trainers with a consistent track record of delivering high-quality and reasonably priced training.
     • Accessibility and Continuous Learning: Prioritize user-friendly platforms, varied delivery methods, and options for continuous learning.
     • Scaling and Networking: Encourage trainers to provide options for learners to scale credentials and facilitate networking opportunities among learners.
2. Emphasizing Experiential Learning:
   • Purpose: Propose a focus on experiential learning in sustainability training, emphasizing hands-on experiences, practical application, integration with federal acquisition complexities, and creativity and problem-solving.
   • Key Elements:
     • Hands-On Learning: Encourage learners to integrate sustainability principles through skill-focused and grounded challenges, showcasing successful examples, and fostering peer collaborations.
     • Practical Application: Emulate real-world situations in federal acquisition settings, fostering collaboration and relationship building within the acquisition community.
     • Integration and Relevance: Ensure learning materials mirror the complexities of federal acquisition, catering to professionals at different expertise levels.
     • Encouraging Creativity and problem solving: Utilize various learning techniques like ethical dilemmas, case assessments, simulations, sustainability debates, and managerial pitches.
3. Establishing Federal Data Standards for Protocols:
   • Purpose: Recommend GSA to lead an interagency effort in establishing data standards and protocols for eco  label certifications.
   • Areas of Focus:
     • Reviewing Eco label Standards: Dive into certifications at the product family level to avoid unintentional non-compliance of products beneath the product category.
     • Working with Suppliers: Collaborate with suppliers to address challenges related to data inconsistencies across federal databases.
     • Providing Additional Information: Offer more information on eco labels, ensuring federal databases include images, manufacturing part numbers, and specific product type and category details.
     • Standardizing Data: Tackle the challenge of varying data and storage standards across federal agencies to facilitate merging databases and integrating them into procurement systems.
     • Developing Training: Develop training to educate the acquisition workforce on using existing tools effectively, such as SFTool and GSA Advantage Environmental Isle.
4. Convene an AI Task Force:
   • Purpose: Recommend GSA to assess the potential of AI in empowering the acquisition workforce and convene a task force to explore AI’s impact on market research, regulatory conformance, decision-making, and risk management.
   • Potential Impact Areas of AI:
     • Improvement in Market Research: Utilize AI for enhanced market research.
     • Regulatory Conformance: Ensure AI aids in regulatory compliance.
     • Improved Decision Making: Leverage AI for data-driven decision-making.
     • Risk Management: Utilize AI to identify and manage procurement risks.

Vote on Acquisition Workforce Subcommittee Recommendations

The committee members that were present voted to approve the four recommendations. Next Steps and additional details can be found in slides 10-22 of the GAP FAC Full Committee Meeting Presentation dated 12.5.2023

Industry Partnerships Subcommittee

The Industry Partnership Subcommittee, led by Kristin Seaver, Chair and Farad Ali, Co-Chair, presented three recommendations:

1. Innovative New Entrant Program:
   • This recommendation proposes the establishment of an “Innovative New Entrant” program using Challenge.gov, an existing platform governed under the Federal Acquisition Service. The goal is to engage a more diverse supplier base, particularly small and minority-owned businesses and new entrants. The process involves identifying key problem sets in federal acquisitions, creating a strategy, announcing prize competitions on Challenge.gov, and inviting the public to submit solutions. The program aims to reach micro-segments of industry not traditionally engaged by the government. It also serves as a learning process for the government to better market and target specific verticals.
2. Maturity Model for Sustainability in Federal Procurement:
   • This recommendation (building on GAP FAC’s May 2023 recommendations) focuses on creating a “Maturity Model” to benchmark and guide industry in aligning with GSA’s sustainability goals in federal procurement. This model would provide a roadmap for businesses to enhance their capabilities and competencies in meeting sustainability objectives. This recommendation suggests creating a cross-agency task force to pursue interest, leveraging the Request for Information (RFI) process to solicit third-party support for developing the maturity model, and developing plans for how GSA can build and enhance partnership and networking. It aims to consolidate various initiatives across government agencies and send a consistent demand signal to the supplier base.
3. Lighthouse Model - Network of Networks:
   • This recommendation introduces a “Lighthouse” model, emphasizing a network of networks to promote collaboration, innovation, and access for small and underrepresented businesses. The model recognizes the decline in such businesses in the federal supply chain and aims to increase their utilization. The lighthouse model would serve as an ongoing networking engagement tool, fostering agility and promoting opportunities in government initiatives. It envisions creating an open platform for businesses to engage with various federal agencies and strengthen the federal ecosystem. The recommendation emphasizes collaboration with diverse businesses, start-ups, policymakers, and industry participants.

Vote on Industry Partnerships Subcommittee Recommendations

The committee members that were present voted to approve the three recommendations. Next Steps and additional details can be found in slides 23-44 of the GAP FAC Full Committee Meeting Presentation dated 12.5.2023

Policy & Practice Subcommittee

Luke Bassis, Chair, and David Wagger, Co-Chair, led the Policy and Practice Subcommittee’s presentation. They presented three recommendations:

1. Reducing PFAS in Federal Procurement:
   • GSA should identify products likely to contain PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) and reduce acquisitions of such products.
   • The recommendation involves a multi-pronged approach, considering product categories identified by other state and federal programs, utilizing eco labels for PFAS-free products, updating contract language, and incorporating PFAS reduction into GSA acquisition tools.
   • Clear guidance and exemptions are essential, given the complexity of PFAS issues and the need to avoid unintended consequences.
   • GSA should incorporate PFAS reduction efforts into existing tools (e.g. GSA Advantage and the Sustainable Facilities (SF) Tool); conduct supplier outreach to determine whether certain products or product categories contain PFAS; provide supply chain incentives (such as prize competitions); and continue to develop in-house expertise).
2. Reducing Human Health Risk in Federal Procurement:
   • GSA should develop improved processes to reduce human health risks associated with federal procurement by considering science-based reviews, enhancing ingredient disclosure, using exposure and hazard information, and establishing preference hierarchies.
   • The focus is on improving the disclosure of chemical ingredients, ensuring safety, and incorporating a science-based approach into the procurement process.
   • GSA should:
     • Identify a subset of procurement categories (e.g., building materials, cleaning supplies) to pilot the inclusion of preferred procurement criteria for materials and products that include chemical ingredient disclosure;
     • Develop with relevant federal agencies (e.g., EPA) a list of chemistries that are currently being evaluated as high priorities and the product categories that are being evaluated and considered by those federal agencies;
     • Work with relevant federal agencies to share and incorporate available alternative assessments that have been developed or are being developed by other agencies (e.g., EPA’s Safer Choice Program);
     • Move toward implementation and institutional capacity building through pilot projects.
3. Establishing a Sustainable Procurement Center of Excellence:
   • GSA should create a Sustainable Procurement Center of Excellence to coordinate efforts, provide leadership, and disseminate best practices across federal, state, and local government levels.
   • The center would serve as a hub for sharing information, establishing common practices, and educating stakeholders on sustainable procurement.
   • The recommendation is based on the diversity of state-level sustainable procurement policies and the need for centralized coordination and leadership.

Vote on Policy & Practice Subcommittee Recommendations

The committee members that were present voted to approve the three recommendations. Next Steps and additional details can be found in slides 45-71 of the GAP FAC Full Committee Meeting Presentation dated 12.5.2023

Public Engagement

Katie Day, a Senior Manager of Science and Policy at the Surfrider Foundation, expressed gratitude for the commitment of the GSA and the committee in implementing Executive Orders related to sustainability. Katie highlighted recommendation six, which focuses on reducing single-use plastics and packaging. Emphasis was placed on the significant impact of GSA’s purchasing power in promoting sustainability and supporting vendors of all sizes. She welcomed the proposed rulemaking by GSA and looked forward to learning more about federal data standards and protocols recommended by the workforce and policy and practice subcommittees.

Concerns were raised about the lack of national leadership in addressing single-use plastic standards, leading to inconsistencies at the state and local levels. Praise was given to the policy and practice subcommittee’s recommendation regarding protocols for suppliers to disclose ingredients and chemical composition, hoping that food service ware would be included. Advocacy was made for data standardization, transparency, and best practice review, aligning with the recommendation for the establishment of a Sustainable Procurement Center of Excellence.

Katie stressed the importance of avoiding regrettable substances and prioritizing practices that do not put frontline communities at public health risk. Encouragement was given for the inclusion of mandates, explicit roles, and timelines in addition to incentives. Overall, appreciation was expressed for the progress made, and gratitude was extended for the opportunity to participate in the discussion.

Closing Remarks

Troy expressed appreciation for the expertise of the GAP FAC members, commended the progress made, and thanked absent members Jenny Romer and Deryl McKissack for their contributions. She highlighted the positive impact of recommendations on GSA’s acquisition processes and thanked everyone.

Cassius expressed gratitude for the hard work of chairs, co-chairs, members, and guest speakers, anticipating a clearer perspective in 2024. He thanked Jeff, Krystal, and others for their efforts behind the scenes.

Jeff thanked Julia, Kelsey, Kailey, Neha, and Elena for their presentations, acknowledging the committee’s combination of bold recommendations. He expressed eagerness to read the report and thanked the team for managing the efforts, especially the captioners who captured today’s proceedings.

Krystal thanked the committee for shaping GSA’s thinking on climate and sustainability, praising the thoughtful conversation and leadership. She acknowledged the work behind the scenes and expressed excitement to take the recommendations to the administrator.

Boris acknowledged the committee’s milestone, with ten new recommendations approved. He explained the next steps in the implementation process and assured that the report would be shared publicly. He thanked the committee for making a difference.

Stephanie thanked everyone and expressed her honor and privilege to work with the committee, looking forward to future endeavors

Adjournment

Boris Arratia reminded the public that the GAP FAC web site is where all the meeting agenda, slides, notes, meeting recordings, and eventually the recommendation report will be located for public review. He then adjourned the meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 4:30 P.M. EST.

I hereby certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the foregoing minutes are accurate and complete.

Digitally signed by Troy Cribb 3/21/2024
Troy Cribb
Chairperson
GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee

Digitally signed by Cassius Butts 4/4/2024
Cassius Butts
Co-Chairperson
GSA Acquisition Policy Federal Advisory Committee