Sukhee Kang, recently promoted to Head Regional Administrator at the General Services Administration (GSA), humbly remarked on his first year of service, “I’ve probably never gotten a perfect score in my life.”
Sukhee Kang reflects on his first year as Regional Administrator for Regions 9 and 10 at GSA as a learning experience and a challenge. Kang is the former Mayor of Irvine who helped give the Korean-American community greater political power in the early 2000s.
Although his background in addressing resident issues and overseeing city government has aided him in managing federal properties, Kang acknowledges the difficulty of being recognized as a politically unaffiliated administrator.
Marking his first anniversary in office this January, Kang proudly shared that he received a perfect score in his performance evaluation as GSA’s Regional Administrator.
“The GSA has the second highest job satisfaction after the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), so lots of officials have been here for more than 20 to 30 years. It’s not easy to work with so many people who have spent their entire professional careers in one place, so a perfect score is sweet.”
Kang has overseen the Pacific Rim, Northwest, and Arctic Regions. He is responsible for the supply and management of federal property and executive branch offices, even small from pencils to buildings.
Despite his perfect score, Kang faced several unseen challenges. “Being able to demonstrate strong, cohesive leadership is a skill, but it also takes time. In the beginning, some wondered if I could do this or that, but after three months, they started to open up to me. I believe it was because of my passion and hard work. I was able to establish a good rapport with the commissioners as well.”
Kang, an influential Korean-American leader, actively participates in various events in San Francisco, including a notable meeting with South Korean President Yoon last November in Northern California.
“I was honored to sit close to the Korean president and have a good conversation with him,” he said, adding “GSA also had a booth at the 2023 World Korean Business Convention last year October to introduce our services. Following the convention, KOTRA and GSA facilitated an online forum with over 120 Korean companies, discussing opportunities for expanded exchanges. As a Korean American, I hope to create more opportunities for the Korean people and the Korean government to engage and benefit.”
Kang has been tested by votes as a politician, but when asked if he envisions a bigger opportunity in federal office ahead of the presidential election, he answered cautiously.
“My position, appointed by the president, typically requires resignation upon a presidential change. Of course, if the current president were to begin a second term, I may be able to serve longer, but as a federal employee, I believe it’s best not to talk about a personal political future.”
Kang emphasized GSA’s role in aiding small businesses, acknowledging challenges in navigating procurement processes. “In fact, there are many opportunities for small businesses to provide goods and contracts to procurement agencies, but the difficulty of preparing submissions and reports is a barrier that prevents them from doing so.” Kang plans to gather internal capacity to create tools and channels to make it more accessible to many.
Kang highlighted the CFL program, where the federal government is poised to donate computers to schools and nonprofit educational organizations, and he is looking forward to hearing from those interested.
Kang anticipates a busier year ahead. “The biggest project will be the modernization of 10 federal border checkpoints in the Regions 9 and 10 that I am in charge of. It’s expected to cost $3.4 billion, and it includes road widening, facility remodeling, and a whole host of upgrades to the thousands of federal buildings in response to the changing environment, which is a key focus of the Biden administration. That means more opportunities for minority communities. I anticipate a very busy year this year. I believe this position was given to me by the Korean-American community and I intend to serve it with all my heart.”
BY BRIAN CHOI, HOONSIK WOO [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
