State Department deputy Michael Rigas named GSA’s acting chief  

President Donald Trump has tapped State Department leader Michael Rigas to serve as the General Services Administration’s new acting chief, the agency announced Monday. 

It marks the third GSA appointment for Rigas, who has spent the past few months at the State Department as the deputy secretary for management and resources, according to a statement from Marianne Copenhaver, associate administrator for the GSA. 

“We’re thrilled to have his institutional knowledge, leadership, and decades of experience in the private and public sector. Under Mike’s leadership, GSA will continue to deliver effective and efficient government services in real estate, acquisition, and technology,” Copenhaver wrote in a statement to FedScoop. 

Stephen Ehikian, who has served since January as GSA’s acting administrator, will continue his role as deputy administrator, Copenhaver added. Ehikian is a former Salesforce vice president and self-proclaimed “serial entrepreneur.” 

Rigas recently oversaw the latest round of layoffs at the State Department, Federal News Network reported, and previously directed the America First Policy Institute’s Presidential Transition Project. He’s also an alum of the Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank behind Project 2025.

He also recently served as a senior adviser to the Trump-Vance 2025 transition, during which he oversaw the development of federal department and agency “action plans and appointee training programs,” GSA’s online biography for Rigas states. 

He held posts in Trump’s first administration, including at the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget and at the GSA, where he served as acting federal chief information officer and senior adviser. 

Earlier in his career, Rigas worked in the private sector at Mellon Financial Corporation and Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. He received a master’s in public administration from Harvard University and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston University. 

It is not clear whether Rigas will also keep his role at the State Department, which did not immediately respond to FedScoop’s request for comment.