News  Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Retirement of Gary Lambert, Assistant Secretary for Operational Services and Chief Procurement Officer

Boston — Today, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that Gary Lambert will retire in February, following more than 20 years of leading the Operational Services Division (OSD) and 33 years of public service. OSD is an oversight agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance (A&F). OSD serves both business and government customers through a variety of services and programs that include managing the state fleet of vehicles, the COMMBUYS Procurement platform, and management and oversight of procurements for goods and services, which includes the direct management of more than 100 Statewide Contracts that generated $2.38 billion in Fiscal Year 2024.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration is initiating a search for the next Assistant Secretary for Operational Services and Chief Procurement Officer. Anna Shpigel, currently Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operational Services, will assume the duties of Interim Assistant Secretary for Operational Services.

“From helping state agencies find the goods and services they need to serve people across the state to aligning purchasing with our climate and equity goals, OSD makes critical contributions to our administration’s top priorities,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’m grateful to Gary and the entire OSD team for their work on behalf of Massachusetts residents, and I look forward to the agency's future accomplishments.”

“I want to congratulate Gary Lambert on his accomplished tenure and well-deserved retirement,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Thanks to OSD and Gary’s leadership, Massachusetts is a national leader in its procurement practices — ensuring fair, open, and competitive processes that deliver value for Massachusetts residents.” 

“Thank you to Gary Lambert for his decades of public service,” said Secretary for Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. “With Gary at the helm, OSD made major strides in supporting our municipalities, reducing costs, and improving our sustainability. I want to commend his leadership and his efforts to position OSD for continued success.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead OSD for the 20 plus years of innovation and growth. I believe OSD is well positioned to continue on this path of growth and success. The team is working on the procurement for the next generation COMMBUYS solution. The master plan for fleet electrification is complete. We are in a good place with the transition to category management. The establishment of a central print and mail business unit successfully reduced costs and increased business since its launch two years ago. The time is right to step back and let others put their stamp on these programs and business units as we move forward!” said retiring Assistant Secretary and Chief Procurement Officer Gary Lambert.

As the Commonwealth’s Chief Procurement Officer, Lambert’s leadership and focus on innovative procurement practices and vendor/supplier management have positioned OSD as a leader among state procurement organizations in the United States. Lambert’s service with the Commonwealth began as an intern in 1980 and he has held several roles across EHHS and A&F. He has held his current role since 2011.

OSD supports state and local governments through several units, including Strategic Sourcing Services; COMMBUYS Operations; Performance Analytics; Office of Vehicle Management (OVM); Surplus Property Office; and Climate and Sustainability. OSD also is responsible for setting tuition prices for more than 200 approved special education programs in approximately 100 private schools. This price setting is necessary to accommodate students with needs that cannot be met by their current school district. Additionally, OSD sets prices for services not included in tuition, such as one-to-one aides. 

Highlights of OSD’s Accomplishments Under Lambert’s Leadership: 

• Launching the COMMBUYS e-Procurement Platform in 2014. Now in its 11th year, COMMBUYS is the Commonwealth’s online market center that facilitates commerce between government purchasers and businesses. At the time of its launch, Massachusetts was one of a handful of U.S. state procurement offices to implement an e-Procurement Platform for use by Executive Departments and other eligible entities. 
• In 2019, Massachusetts became the first state to put Electric Vehicle Charging Stations on Statewide Contract.
• During the height of the pandemic, an OSD team chartered six planes to deliver 107 million pieces of PPE to combat the spread of COVID-19 in the Commonwealth.
• In 2023, in support of Executive Order 619: Eliminating the Purchase by the Executive Department of Single-Use Plastic Bottles, OSD worked with vendors on two Statewide Contracts to identify environmentally preferable packaging alternatives (i.e., paper cartons, aluminum cans, etc.) for beverages with a capacity of 21 fluid ounces or less and make them available on those contracts.
• In 2024, OSD received an Electronic Procurement Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) Purchaser Award from the Global Electronics Council for the eighth consecutive year in recognition of its leadership in sustainable electronics procurement.  
• Also in 2024, in support of Executive Order 594: Leading By Example: Decarbonizing and Minimizing Environmental Impacts of State Government, the state fleet under OVM purview successfully reached the FY25 five percent target for the implementation of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) in the state’s fleet a year ahead of schedule.   

In addition to his leadership of OSD, Lambert has served on numerous committees and initiatives during his tenure with the Commonwealth, including the Commonwealth’s Performance Management initiative, A&F’s Business Process Reengineering Initiative, and the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security’s IT Advisory Investment Board.  

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