Laura Stanton, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Information Technology Category, General Services Administration, United States

1. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organization. 

In my role as Assistant Commissioner for GSA’s Office of Information Technology Category (ITC), I lead a multidisciplinary team that helps government entities follow policies and enjoy successful outcomes when they build, buy, or use technology. 

U.S. Government organizations and the companies that sell to them must follow certain requirements to lawfully spend public funds. The process of preparing and executing a contract, called an acquisition, can be lengthy, especially for new or unfamiliar technologies, and significant costs can be avoided when agencies share and reuse contracting language, versus each agency making a new contract from scratch for each acquisition.

Our team brings together seasoned contracting experts who know the rules and IT specialists who know the technologies and the industry to produce pre-negotiated contracts that government buyers and industry sellers can use to conduct business. These governmentwide contracts, also called “acquisition vehicles,” vary in size, scope, and longevity, but they all share the same function of streamlining technology procurement, so government agencies can get the tech they need, save time and money, and focus on their missions.

Our team currently manages 5 primary acquisition vehicles as well as the entire IT category of GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule, which is the largest and most widely used acquisition vehicle. Nonfederal buyers, such as state governments can buy technology off the MAS as well.

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2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year?

2024 was our most active year in terms of the volume of business that flowed through our contracts. In total, our contracts facilitated $42.1 billion in IT expenditure, and in doing so we saved our agency customers $1.62 billion. Small businesses won approximately $7.8 billion, and their success is a key consideration as we want the federal IT marketplace to be as accessible as possible.    

One impactful project that took shape in 2024 was the role we played in helping government agencies think about acquiring technology that is still being developed. For the last few years, our office made a conscious effort to look beyond the current state of IT and think creatively about new and emerging technologies that may soon enter the federal marketplace. For example, using quantum mechanics to make computers that can crack any password instantly sounds like science fiction, but it’s a very real concern in cybersecurity. Right now, governments and large organizations around the world are engaged in a massive initiative to protect their encrypted data from a rogue quantum computer.  

One of the most interesting projects we undertook in 2024 was alerting our government customers to the quantum threat and helping them determine what kinds of technology services they’ll need to protect their most sensitive data. I blogged about the issue, we produced a quantum technology guide, and we hosted a “quantum summit” at GSA, bringing together experts from government, industry, and academia to share insights and ideas.  

3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024? 

One unexpected learning from 2024 was the response from the acquisition community to our method for spotting new technologies, which we call the Emerging Tech Radar.

Each of our contracts has a unique life-cycle, so we are constantly looking forward, trying to predict how different types of technology may evolve and be used in government. The sooner we can spot technological trends, the faster we can make updates to our contracts or create new ones that adapt to future innovations and continue to educate our workforce to be prepared for the next technology.

The Emerging Tech Radar is one of the methods we use for this purpose, and whenever I mention it, folks want to learn more. On its own, it’s just a chart that plots how close different technologies are to being adopted in government workplaces. Its true value lies in the people who research the technologies, experiment with them when possible, and share their findings with our workforce to inform our work.  

4. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

In 2025, I’m excited to learn more about generative AI applications in the acquisition process. We’ve set up a series of cloud-based sandbox environments we call labs. In these labs, staff representing many specialties run experiments on a variety of technologies, including blockchain cryptography, zero trust security, and artificial intelligence. Most recently we've been testing AI modules to understand how we might deploy generative AI tools to address acquisition challenges and tasks. I’m excited to see what my team does as more people bring new ideas to apply technology to our work.

5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector.

AI represents a game-changer for the public sector by augmenting human decision-making and enhancing data analysis. Its potential to accelerate timelines and reduce barriers in procurement is immense, but we remain focused on ensuring its ethical and effective application.

Part of ITC’s mission is to clearly communicate acquisition best practices to government entities and their suppliers, and AI acquisition strategies are similar to those of other technologies.

Controlling costs, ensuring data security, and building toward human-centered experiences are all important aspects of successful public sector tech projects. In 2024, we published a Generative AI and Specialized Computing Infrastructure Acquisition Resource Guide. We’ll continue to keep our customers and their suppliers up-to-date on optimal acquisition strategies to bring down barriers to responsible AI adoption. 

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6. What are your priorities for 2025?

For 2025, our priorities include expanding small business participation, continuing to ensure that we have a thriving marketplace with successful suppliers bringing technology and services to the federal government, and that we continue to prepare ourselves for the future with both technology and the use cases that agencies will deliver services to the American public.

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators? 

For public sector innovators, I advise fostering a spirit of curiosity and embracing experimentation. Start by envisioning the outcomes you want to achieve and the problems you want to solve, then work backward to identify the tools and strategies to get there. Defining the problem is the first step and then it becomes possible to understand how to address it. Anticipate change and remain adaptable—this mindset is critical to driving meaningful improvements in government services. 

8. Who inspires you today?

I draw daily inspiration from the ITC team and technologists in the public and private sectors. Their dedication and innovative spirit exemplify what’s possible when public servants work together toward a shared mission. Seeing their efforts transform ideas into impactful outcomes motivates me to continue leading and supporting their work.