II. GLOBAL CONFERENCE
ON
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
GCETM 2015

Ann P. Kalayil was named Regional Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Great Lakes Region in January 2011. As the agency’s regional chief executive, she heads operations that provide Federal agencies and the U.S. Courts in six states with support in vital areas such as real estate, technology, acquisitions, and fleet. Headquartered in Chicago, the Region has a workforce of 725 employees and an annual operating budget of approximately $450 million, a building inventory of 35.8 million square feet, and $3.4 billion in business volume. Ann's appointment is historic as she is the first woman and first Asian-American to serve in this role for the region.

Ann provides the region with vision and direction through the development and implementation of a goal-driven and measurable regional strategic plan that supports the agency’s key priorities. She championed regional efforts to meet a Presidential Executive Order to reduce the federal government’s physical and carbon footprint, including shrinking the region’s office footprint by 24 percent, which resulted in savings of $1 million in annual rent. She also spearheaded the creation of the region’s first sustainability plan, focusing on additional ways the region can reduce energy intensity and adopt green technologies and vehicles. Ann has led several technology initiatives such as digitizing GSA’s public artwork collection for the public’s use and developing a digital strategy for the workplace of the future within GSA. She has been instrumental in driving talent management through the creation of several employee engagement initiatives that reach all levels of employees.

Prior to this appointment, Ann worked for more than 18 years at the University of Chicago in Information Technology Services, where she worked in Emerging Technologies and Communications but previously was Director of Client Services and Support. Ann has taught at DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. Ann received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Northeastern Illinois University, a master's degree in Asian Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow, Ann has also served on several government task forces and is active in many community based organizations.