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Trump Nominates New Director of Government Publishing Office

Robert C. Tapella will return to GPO and succeed Da Vita Vance-Cooks

OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and former GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks review production of the budget for Fiscal Year 2018 at the Government Publishing Office's plant on North Capitol Street on May 19, 2017. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney and former GPO Director Davita Vance-Cooks review production of the budget for Fiscal Year 2018 at the Government Publishing Office's plant on North Capitol Street on May 19, 2017. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call file photo)

Updated 1:30 p.m. | President Trump announced Tuesday his intent to nominate Robert C. Tapella as the Director of the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

Tapella will succeed Da Vita Vance-Cooks, the first African American and first woman to fill the role. Andrew M. Sherman has been serving as the GPO’s acting director since November, following Vance-Cooks’ departure.

Vance-Cooks was instrumental in re-branding the office from its original name of Government Printing Office to its current title in order to incorporate more digital platforms.

The GPO is responsible for the production and distribution of information for all three branches of government. Beginning with the Emancipation Proclamation, Vance-Cooks said in an interview with Roll Call last year, the GPO has been responsible for printing every Congressional record, committee report, bill, hearing, and security credentials, passport books and the like.

In addition to publishing, the office is now responsible for mobile app management, e-book releases and secure credentialing. It is not responsible for printing money, a task which falls to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

“The mission of the GPO is to keep America informed about the business of its government. And it does that by ensuring that the information that comes out is authentic,” Vance-Cook explained.

President Bush appointed Tapella to act as the 25th head of the office where he continued his service under Obama until 2010. He also previously led a review of Title 44 of the U.S. Code, which outlines the role of printing and publishing documents in the Federal government.

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