George L. Price, Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) at the U.S. Department of State, has officially retired after more than three decades of distinguished federal service. Price announced his retirement in a heartfelt LinkedIn post, bringing to a close a career defined by dedication to public service and advocacy for small businesses.
“It has been my privilege to serve so many incredible businesses helping support the mission of the government,” Price wrote. ” I have witnessed your contributions to some of the most critical projects our county has undertaken and I’m grateful for having the opportunity to do so.”
A member of the Senior Executive Service, Price has led the Department of State’s OSDBU office since 2015, where he was responsible for promoting small business participation in State Department procurements, including Small Disadvantaged, HUBZone, Women-Owned, and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses. Under his leadership, OSDBU strengthened its mission to support U.S. foreign policy initiatives by maximizing prime and subcontracting opportunities for American small businesses.
Prior to his tenure at OSDBU, Price worked at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as the Deputy Associate Director for the Training and Management Assistance Program. In this role, he oversaw the delivery of more than $500 million annually in direct acquisition and project management assistance to federal agencies. On behalf of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy at the Office of Management and Budget, Price also led an interagency commodity management team that developed a government-wide strategic sourcing solution for human capital and training services—streamlining procurement and driving cost-efficiencies across the federal enterprise.
He also formerly served as the Director of Outreach Communications for the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Acquisition Service for nearly 10 years. There, he managed strategic marketing communications initiatives to improve engagement between government agencies and industry partners. Price was also the executive sponsor and driving force behind the creation of Interact.gsa.gov, a pioneering online platform that fostered collaboration and transparency between federal buyers and the contractor community.
Price began his Federal Service in 1992 at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where he was a Business Opportunity Specialist within the 8(a) Business Development Program, a Business Development Specialist, and ultimately the Director of the HUBZone Program for the Eastern United States.
Though he has now retired, Price emphasized his ongoing commitment to supporting small businesses, saying, “While now retired from government, I remain passionate about helping companies navigate the federal process. So this isn’t a goodbye but an ‘until we meet again.’”
Price leaves behind a legacy of leadership, innovation, and unwavering support for small businesses working to strengthen the U.S. government’s mission at home and abroad.