Acting Public Printer Makes Key Management Appointments (Hmmmm)

Joel’s comments:

First of all, I do not consider “Human Capital Officer” and “EEO Director” positions to be “key” management positions at the GPO. It’s not that I don’t value “human resources” people, it’s just that I don’t feel that those positions are as “key” to managing the GPO’s business as are positions that deal with operations-planning, streamlining, cost-cutting, process, outsourcing and delivery issues.

Secondly, I always find ‘government job descriptions’ to be amusing. I guess this – “Chief Human Capital Officer” - is a somewhat new (and enlightened!) way of referring to a Human Resources Director (which older people, like me, used to refer as the Personnel Manager). Recently, I noticed that the U.S. government no longer hires “office clerks”; “office clerks” are now referred to as “office productivity assistants” Hmmm. Saying “government employee” and “productivity” in the same sentence is, I think, an oxymoron! And, why in the world does the GPO need to have a person (an “EEO Directors) who is responsible for this – “will administer policy and oversight of the EEO program, which includes efforts to ensure equal opportunity in employment throughout the GPO, provide for the equitable resolution of complaints of discrimination, and require compliance with Federal EEO laws, regulations, policy, and program directives.” That position is a complete waste of taxpayer dollars.

Our government is bloated with bureaucracy, inefficiency and waste. Promote me as the next “Public Printer”, and I promise to slash, cut and burn!

Okay, here’s the Press Release:

Acting Public Printer Makes Key Management Appointments

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Press release from the issuing company

Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks announces the appointment of Lyle Green as Managing Director of Official Journals of Government and Ginger Thomas as Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO). Green and Thomas each bring decades of Federal Government and private sector experience to their new positions.

In addition, Juanita Flores, Assistant Director of GPO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), will serve as Acting EEO Director.



As Managing Director of Official Journals of Government, Green will oversee the Office of Congressional Publishing Services, the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) Publishing Services, and the Congressional Record Index Office as well overseeing GPO's Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans. Green came to GPO in 1991 and has held various positions in the Office of Congressional Publishing Services prior to becoming director in 2006. During his time in that office, Green worked closely with the Clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate to meet the information dissemination needs of Congress and was part of the team in the 1990s that changed the format of viewing and accessing Congressional documents online, making it easier for the public to access and use Congressional information. Prior to coming to GPO, Green spent a decade working as an editor for various publications at associations and private sector companies.



As the Chief Human Capital Officer, Ginger Thomas will plan and implement the human resources systems and oversee the policies and procedures that guide GPO's innovative human resources operation - policies designed specifically to strike a balance of honoring the culture and values of GPO's rich history while positioning the agency to meet the evolving human capital demands of the future. Thomas has more than 30 years of experience in the Federal Government. She came to GPO in 1999 and has held management positions in GPO's Customer Services and Human Capital business units. Thomas recently served as Director of Human Capital Operations, where she played a key role in the agency's workforce planning transformation. Prior to GPO, Thomas held various human resources positions at the National Institutes of Health, Department of the Interior, and the Architect of the Capitol.



As Acting Director of the EEO Office, Juanita Flores will administer policy and oversight of the EEO program, which includes efforts to ensure equal opportunity in employment throughout the GPO, provide for the equitable resolution of complaints of discrimination, and require compliance with Federal EEO laws, regulations, policy, and program directives. Flores has three decades of EEO experience in the Federal Government. She joined GPO in 1999 and has served as the Chief of Counseling and Complaints Processing Division and as Assistant Director for EEO where she directed and monitored an efficient complaints process and established affirmative employment strategies that complied with regulatory requirements. Before coming to GPO, Flores held various positions in EEO offices at the Department of the Treasury from 1981-1999.

"I have had the pleasure of working with Lyle, Ginger, and Juanita in different capacities during our time together at GPO and I am confident that they will do an outstanding job leading their respective units," said Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. "Lyle, Ginger, and Juanita have played a critical role in GPO's internal operations of strengthening our workforce and external operations of meeting the information dissemination needs of Congress and Federal agencies."



With 1,900 employees, GPO is the Federal Government's primary resource for producing, procuring, cataloging, indexing, authenticating, disseminating, and preserving the official information products of the U.S. Government in both digital and tangible formats. GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government, including U.S. passports for the Department of State as well as the official publications of Congress, the White House, and other Federal agencies. In addition to publication sales, GPO provides for permanent public access to Federal Government information at no charge through GPO's Federal Digital System (www.fdsys.gov) and through partnerships with approximately 1,220 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program.