GSA Names Andrea O’Neal Senior Adviser to Administrator on Equity

The General Services Administration has named Andrea O’Neal its first senior adviser to the administrator on equity.

O’Neal has 20 years of experience in advancing racial justice, diverse workforce development and cultural development in organizations across multiple sectors, according to GSA.

“With her leadership and experience, we will build on our existing efforts and continue to advance diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility throughout GSA’s policies, practices, and programs,” said GSA Acting Administrator Katy Kale, a 2021 Wash100 winner.

GSA said O’Neal brings with her experience identifying institutional barriers to employment, studying racial wealth gaps and educating corporate leaders on racial equity.

According to the agency, O’Neal is known for her thought leadership on equity during her time as a research advisory member of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Equitable Futures project.

Equitable Futures is an initiative aimed at providing young people the connections, skills and credentials they need to thrive in the workforce.

The project recently focused on studying how the coronavirus pandemic impacted how young people view their educational and employment prospects.

O’Neal also served as a member of Brown University’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism, which was tasked with developing recommendations for fostering a culture of equity and inclusion.

Brown University President Christina Paxson directed the task force to develop educational programs to help the university’s community understand the movement, propose ways to make the campus more supportive of Black persons and support a curriculum that sheds light on anti-Black racism.