OGS Turns 65

Celebrating 65 Years of Service

It is an honor to lead this agency, which continues to move with the times and works to address the pressing needs of our state and those of the New Yorkers we serve.
–OGS Commissioner Jeanette Moy

In 1959, Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller convened a commission to study and improve the effectiveness of state government. In its report, the commission recommended creating a new state agency, the Office of General Services, to provide essential "housekeeping" services, like centralized purchasing, management of office space and state properties, maintenance of state buildings, and the distribution of supplies and other materials. OGS would not only bring together a number of related functions, but also sharpen the state's procedures and processes. (Proposed Reorganization of the Executive Branch of New York State Government, December 1959)

Basic to the plan was an eye to the future: OGS should continually review its services and make appropriate improvements.
–C. V. R. Schuyler, First OGS Commissioner, 1960-1971

OGS has expanded its crucial role in making the state more sustainable, efficient, productive, and responsive. This function-first agency is now a modernized organization that has a more direct impact on New Yorkers than ever before. While much has changed in 65 years, one thing has not: the pride OGS employees take in being part of an agency that has an immeasurable impact on state government and on New Yorkers.

Sixty-Five Years of Procurement Services

Adapting to the Needs of New Yorkers

As the Office of General Services (OGS) marks 65 years, discover the impactful work happening across its divisions. Follow along throughout the year as different divisions are highlighted. Procurement Services is the first team to be featured in this series.

Procurement Services celebrates a legacy of adapting to and anticipating the needs of New Yorkers. OGS Procurement Services is New York State’s central purchasing office. It manages and oversees statewide contracts for goods, services, and technology that state agencies, local governments, school districts, and nonprofits can use. Leveraging the state’s collective buying power helps save New Yorkers money, ensures quality, and promotes efficiency, transparency, and sustainability in public purchasing.

Procurement Then and Now