GSA reshuffles the deck, ousting Public Buildings Service chief Michael Peters

GSA announced 29 July 2025 that Michael Peters, commissioner of the Public Buildings Service (PBS), will step down as part of broader management changes at the agency. Peters’ unexpected departure comes just days after GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian was replaced by Michael Rigas, formerly of the State Department, reports the Washington Business Journal.

Appointed in the early months of President Donald Trump’s second term, Peters’ tenure at PBS was marked by aggressive real estate reforms and operational downsizing under the direction of the Ehikian-led GSA. Peters was instrumental in executing high-profile moves including plans to sell portions of federal property in DC, terminating existing leases, initiating a freeze on new contracting, and relocating significant agencies, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development to Alexandria, Virginia. According to GSA spokesperson Marianne Copenhaver, Peters is "stepping down and ensuring a smooth transition as he returns to the private sector."

Peters’ exit introduces uncertainty for federal contractors and agencies reliant on PBS’s oversight of construction, leasing, and maintenance of government facilities. While his successor has yet to be named, the abrupt leadership shifts signal possible further changes in federal property management approaches.