2003 Citizen Services
Finalist

Marcella Banks

Bridged the digital divide for Native American communities and the military during her 45-year federal career.

A 45-year veteran of federal service is making sure Native American tribal nations get the benefits of the Information Age. That’s just part of what Marcella Banks accomplishes as Assistant Regional Administrator for the General Services Administration’s Federal Technology Service (FTS). She has dedicated herself to ensuring that the federal government meets the technological needs of disadvantaged communities and the military.

Banks has worked tirelessly to bring the latest technology to Native American tribes in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. “You need to deal with each one as a sovereign entity and tailor your services to the needs of each nation,” said FTS Commissioner Sandy Bates. “Marcella Banks does just that.” Her efforts help Native American communities strengthen their economies, educate their children and improve their standards of living while also sustaining their cultural heritage.

She also provides information technology to military bases in the five states in her jurisdiction. As a former supervisor said, “She can literally do the work of three people.”

Banks puts her customers first. That’s critically important at FTS, a self-sustaining agency that derives all of its funding from its customers. “FTS operates as much like a business as you can in the federal government,” she says. “We adopt as many business practices as we can from private industry.”; Banks regularly visits key customers to make sure they receive quality services and to seek suggestions to improve the way FTS does business.

Banks also recognizes that a culture of success begins with a motivated and well-trained workforce. She has offered all her employees the opportunity for growth through training opportunities and mentors for the GSA Leadership Program, a support group for new GSA supervisors. These efforts are paying dividends for the GSA. Her employees’ levels of job satisfaction and engagement are consistently ranked among the highest at GSA in employee satisfaction surveys.

Banks is a public servant by every definition of the term. She continually strives to exceed the goals of her agency and ensure that it maintains its good standing with its customers. She has dedicated 45 years of her life to service in the federal government and has truly made her mark.