| Lurita Doan | |
|---|---|
| 18th Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration |
|
| In office May 31, 2006 – April 29, 2008 |
|
| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | David Bibb (2003-2008) |
| Preceded by | Stephen A. Perry |
| Succeeded by | James A. Williams (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 4, 1958 New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Vassar College University of Tennessee |
| Profession | Radio Commentator |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Lurita Alexis Doan (born January 4, 1958), is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to April 29, 2008. She was the first woman to hold the position.[1]
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Doan was born the daughter of Lucien Victor Alexis, Jr., head of a New Orleans business school for black students. Her grandfather was Lucien Alexis, Sr., a prominent New Orleans businessman.[1] Doan attended Ursuline Academy, a Catholic school for girls in New Orleans.[1] She graduated from Ursuline in 1975. Doan graduated with honors in English from Vassar College in New York.[2] Doan received a master’s degree in Renaissance Literature in 1983 from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
In 1984, Doan began teaching as an adjunct professor at colleges in Louisiana, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. From 1986 she worked 4 years with Unisys as a technician deploying Unix systems.[3] Doan launched her company, New Technology Management Inc. in 1990. Minority-contractor certification helped her access government contracts. [2] In 1993, Doan secured a $250,000 Navy contract to install Unix on ships. By 2002, revenues had grown to $29 million.[4] In 2005, Doan sold her firm for an undisclosed sum to a group of investors and retired.[5]
On April 6, 2006, Doan was nominated by President George W. Bush to head the General Services Administration. She was confirmed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on May 26 and was sworn in as the 18th administrator of GSA on May 31.[6][7][8] On April 29, 2008 Doan submitted her resignation in accordance with a request from the White House,[9] which did not disclose the reason for the request. The resignation followed a recommendation by the United States Office of Special Counsel to discipline Doan for violating the Hatch Act,[10] in addition to a period of internal GSA conflicts with the agency’s inspector general and a number of congressional and special counsel inquiries.[11]
In July 2008, Doan began her "Leadership Matters" commentaries on Federal News Radio in Washington, D.C., discussing government contracting, federal budget issues and government managerial practices.[12] She is also a regular contributor to The Arena at Politico.com and to Biggovernment.com, and has occasionally published opinion editorials in several major U.S. daily newspapers, such as USA Today and The Los Angeles Times. Doan has also appeared as a guest contributor on Fox News, CNN and other cable networks with commentary on fiscal discipline, government contracting practices, the federal budget and current affairs.
Doan is a member of the Belizean Grove, an invitation-only women's social club based in New York City.[13]
Between 1999 and 2006, Doan and her husband, Douglas, a former military intelligence officer and business liaison official at the Department of Homeland Security, donated nearly $226,000 to Republican campaigns and causes.[5]
Doan, a Republican Party member, was cited by Vice President Dick Cheney in a speech at the Small Business Administration in 2003.[14] She met with President George W. Bush, as the female owner of a small business, in 2004.[15] In 2004, she addressed the Republican National Convention.[16]
Doan has been involved in the business community through participation in many trade associations, membership in business organizations including the Young Entrepreneurs' Organization (now Entrepreneurs' Organization) and Young Presidents' Organization, and involvement on charitable community activities.[17] In addition, Doan provides support to the American Red Cross, National Women’s Business Center, D.C. Rape Crisis Center, United Negro College Fund, American Women’s Business Centers, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Whitman-Walker Clinic, and many others.[17] Doan has also served on a number of boards and committees including the Vassar College Board of Trustees, the Shakespeare Theatre of Washington, D.C. Board of Trustees, the Committee of 200, Council on Competitiveness, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association of Female Executives, Women in Technology International, Minority Business Network, and the Northern Virginia Technology Council.[17]
Witnesses have told congressional investigators that the chief of the General Services Administration and a deputy in Karl Rove's political affairs office at the White House joined in a videoconference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates. With GSA Administrator Lurita Alexis Doan and up to 40 regional administrators on hand, J. Scott Jennings, the White House's deputy director of political affairs, gave a PowerPoint presentation on Jan. 26 [2007] of polling data about the 2006 elections. Investigators state that the Hatch Act may have been broken when the question "How can we help our candidates?" was allegedly asked by Lurita Doan, according a few unidentified witnesses at the meeting. The Hatch Act states that federal resources may not be used for partisan politics. The Office of Special Counsel investigated Hatch Act questions at GSA.
"Over the past several months, I have heard complaints questioning the ability of the GSA's IG to conduct independent reviews in an unbiased manner. Contributing to this perception has been a troubling inability within the office of the IG to safeguard testimony and hold in strict confidence information provided. Companies involved in audits, as well as whistleblowers across the agency, must have the confidence that the IG will safeguard information provided. Sadly, there have been several instances where confidential information provided to the GSA IG was immediately leaked to media outlets, and I am concerned that these occurrences have fostered the impression that the IG's credibility is compromised."[23]
On April 29, 2008, facing a recommendation by the United States Office of Special Counsel that Doan be "disciplined to the fullest extent" for "the most pernicious of political activity" prohibited by the Hatch Act[10] and an ongoing congressional investigation,[24] Doan submitted her resignation in accordance with a request from the White House.[9] Doan stated that "It has been a great privilege to serve our nation and a great President."[25]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Stephen A. Perry |
Administrator of General Services Served under: George W. Bush 2006–2008 |
Succeeded by Martha Johnson |