The U.S. Government Printing Office's (GPO) Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks delivered a keynote address at the Excellence in Government Conference on May 7th. The conference was hosted by the Government Executive Media Group and attended by Federal Government and private sector leaders. Vance-Cooks spoke about GPO's leading role in the Federal Government for doing more with less while budgets are being reduced. Vance-Cooks shared the ways GPO has reduced costs while maintaining productivity and moving forward as the digital information platform for the Federal Government, which includes:

* Developing a strategic plan for the future of the agency; effectively communicating the plan to employees and encouraging employee feedback
* Reducing overhead costs by restricting hiring and travel
* Offering buyouts to employees bringing the agency to its lowest level of employment in a century
* Conducting a survey to congressional offices on their printed publication needs
* Expanding on the agency's secure credential production capabilities

"I believe that the GPO can be viewed as one of many case studies within the Government of how agencies are operating within an environment of fiscal constraints, intense congressional oversight, public scrutiny, and a re-examination of an agency's mission in serving its constituents," said Acting Public Printer Davita Vance-Cooks. "I think GPO is in a better place now than we have been in years because our reduced budget has caused a re-evaluation leading to an agency that is lean, mobile, and quick to respond to market changes."