GSA Names Mark S. Weiss to Lead PBS and Jennifer M. Hill to Lead FAS

The U.S. General Services Administration named Mark S. Weiss as Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS) and Jennifer M. Hill as Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) on 4 November 2026, GSA said in its release. PBS manages about 8,500 owned and leased assets, and FAS oversees more than $125 billion in business volume with about 16,000 companies. The release does not give an effective date for either appointment.

Who is Mark S. Weiss and what will he run at PBS?

Weiss is an Executive Vice Chairman at Cushman & Wakefield, the release says, and has 42 years of commercial real estate experience. Federal News Network reports that he spent the last 10 years at Cushman & Wakefield. Commercial Observer describes his work as office leasing and advisory work for clients in finance, law, health care, technology and manufacturing.

Federal News Network reports that raising the utilization rate of federal buildings will be among Weiss's top priorities. It also reports that the latest data shows no agency met the 60% utilization rate required under the USE IT Act.

Who is Jennifer M. Hill and what will she run at FAS?

Hill joined GSA in February 2026 as an advisor to GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst, the release says. Before that, she spent 30 years in financial services, including at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, and was CFO of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The release also says she consulted for financial services companies over the last 10 years.

Federal News Network adds that she has served on the boards of high-tech financial firms including BlockFi, Xplor Technologies and Octane, and that she holds an MBA from Columbia Business School.

What are the scale of PBS and FAS?

PBS is the federal government's primary real estate manager. The release says it owns and leases approximately 8,500 assets totaling nearly 360 million square feet, including office buildings, courthouses, land ports of entry and historic federal properties. FAS is the acquisition and shared services arm of GSA.

Who held these posts before, and what happened to them?

Michael Peters left the PBS commissioner post in July 2025, Federal News Network reports, after about seven months in the role. Michael Gelber and Andrew Heller served as acting PBS commissioners. Forst wrote in an internal email, as reported by Federal News Network, that both will continue as deputy commissioners for PBS.

At FAS, Josh Gruenbaum left the commissioner post after 16 months. Federal News Network says he left in May. Government Executive says Laura Stanton had been acting FAS commissioner since April. Both outlets agree that Stanton will return to her post as deputy FAS commissioner.

What did GSA and the new commissioners say?

Forst said the appointees "bring records of strategic execution, operational discipline, and results-driven leadership that will strengthen GSA's ability to deliver best-in-class value across acquisition and real estate."

Weiss said: "At its core, PBS's mission is to provide and manage efficient, cost-effective, and mission-ready workplaces that enable federal agencies to serve the American people."

Hill said: "I'm excited to execute on the Administrator's vision for GSA acquisition: buy smarter, move faster, and reduce fraud."

Why does the PBS appointment matter for federal buildings?

The release ties the PBS role to GSA's maintenance and funding problem. It says GSA is working to address nearly $50 billion in delinquent maintenance. It also says GSA is leading a coalition of cabinet agencies that is advocating for full Federal Buildings Fund access and for raising the prospectus threshold from $4.109 million to $75 million.

Federal News Network reports that GSA lists 39 properties for sale. It also cites a March 2026 report from the Public Buildings Reform Board, which said GSA's inventory of owned buildings "requires a radical reduction in size to become financially sustainable."

What's still unclear?

• Effective dates. The release gives no start date for either appointment, and none of the reports give one either.
• FAS volume. The GSA release says more than $125 billion. Commercial Observer reports more than $100 billion. This article uses the GSA figure.
• Gruenbaum's departure. Federal News Network says May. Government Executive says Stanton had been acting since April. The two dates are not reconciled in the sources.
• Federal experience. Federal News Network says it is unclear how much federal experience either appointee has. An unnamed former GSA executive told the outlet that neither has easily identifiable federal experience.
• Hill's career timeline. The release gives 30 years of financial services experience but no year-by-year dates for her roles at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America.
• Weakest point of the appointments. GSA's release describes the appointees' records but does not name specific federal programs or results they delivered. The public case for each appointment rests on private-sector careers.