Federal 100 winner: Karen Pica

Karen Pica

Former director

Federal Acquisition Institute

Pica led the creation of a continuous learning management module to allow agencies to keep tabs on their acquisition employees' certifications. No such tool previously had been available for agencies.

Pica, a workforce advocate, also advanced a ground-breaking intern recruiting campaign — Be America’s Buyer — that affects the hiring of 500 to 1,000 new employees annually through streamlined recruitment.

“Karen’s efforts have moved the federal government to a new level of acquisition workforce expertise,” said Joanie Newhart, senior procurement executive at the Transportation Department. She “brought boundless enthusiasm and expertise to her job.”

Pica is now a policy analyst at the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.