GSA's Ustad dies after cancer battle

Ida Ustad, deputy associate administrator for acquisition policy at the General Services Administration, died Nov. 29 of complications from cancer. Ustad, a native of South Dakota, began her GSA career as a clerical assistant in Kansas City, Mo., in 1971. During her tenure with the agency, she served in regional and central-office management positions, working her way to the top of GSA's Office of Acquisition Policy in 1994.

In her role as deputy associate administrator for acquisition policy at GSA, Ustad oversaw programs designed to move more federal acquisition information to the Internet. She also oversaw the Clinton administration's execution of laws such as the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act of 1994, the Federal Acquisition Reform Act of 1996 and the Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996.

Ustad served as a member of the vice president's National Performance Review team, and she won the Presidential Rank Award for Meritorious Executive.