Robin Carnahan to be nominated as GSA head

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday he intends to nominate a former Missouri secretary of state as administrator of the General Services Administration.

Robin Carnahan was secretary of state from 2016 to 2020 and led State and Local Government Practice at 18F, a consultancy within the General Services Administration.

According to a release from the Biden administration, Carnahan "helped federal, state and local government agencies improve customer facing digital services and cut costs. In particular, she taught and empowered non-technical executives about how to reduce risk and deliver better results for the public by more effectively budgeting, procuring, implementing and overseeing digital modernization projects. As Secretary of State, Carnahan served as the state's Chief Election Official and State Securities Regulator and was responsible for providing in-person and on-line services to hundreds of thousands of customers. An essential part of her job was leading the office's technology modernization efforts and managing a large service delivery team of 250 employees and 7 operating divisions."

Missouri's senior U.S. senator, Roy Blunt, a Republican, praised the Democrat Carnahan.

"Robin Carnahan is smart, capable and understands what they do at GSA. I look forward to supporting her nomination," he said in a statement released Tuesday.

Carnahan holds a bachelor's degree in economics from William Jewell College and J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Carnahan's appointment is subject to U.S. Senate confirmation.

The General Services Administration manages federal real estate, oversees technology and helps with other administrative tasks across government.

Carnahan's family has a history in Missouri government. Her father, former Gov. Mel Carnahan, died in a 2000 plane crash. Her mother is former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, and her brother is former U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.