SBA promotes Ott

The Small Business Administration has named Fay Ott associate administrator at the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development (GCBD), effective Jan. 7.

Ott will work to increase small-business procurement opportunities and oversee implementation of agency initiatives within GCBD, including the 8(a) Business Development program and the HUBZone Empowerment Contracting program. She will lead the agency’s efforts to ensure small-business contracts are awarded to businesses that meet the appropriate size standards, and help federal agencies meet their small-business contracting goals. Ott has helped develop tools such as the Government Contracting Scorecard and a new rule requiring companies with federal contracts to recertify their size status if acquired by another company and after five years of a long-term contract.

Ott has been a senior manager at SBA since 2004. Her responsibilities have included reviewing the policy and budgets of agency programs and administrative offices; directing agency initiatives; and serving as a liaison to the White House, Congress and federal agencies. She has also been SBA’s deputy associate administrator of GCBD and deputy chief of staff.

Before joining SBA, Ott was the chief of staff at the Labor Department’s Office of Policy. She also has extensive congressional experience, having worked for members in both the House and Senate.