AIA Chris Wernimont

AIA Chris Wernimont serves as a key procurement lead for the City of West Des Moines, overseeing the acquisition of commercial and institutional building construction services to support the municipality’s infrastructure modernization goals. In this role, Wernimont manages the full lifecycle of contracting activities—from needs assessment and solicitation development to contract award and performance monitoring—ensuring alignment with the city’s strategic priorities in public works, utility rehabilitation, and civic facility enhancement. Their procurement portfolio is exclusively focused on NAICS 236220, encompassing new construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects for municipal buildings, community centers, and related infrastructure. Wernimont ensures compliance with state and federal procurement regulations while advancing the city’s mission to deliver resilient, sustainable public assets. Wernimont maintains a broad and competitive vendor engagement strategy, working with a diverse pool of qualified general contractors, specialty subcontractors, and construction management firms. While no single contractor dominates the award profile, the procurement approach emphasizes open competition, performance-based evaluations, and pre-qualified vendor lists to ensure quality and reliability in delivery. Contracting relationships are characterized by transparency, rigorous bid evaluation, and a focus on contractors with demonstrated experience in municipal construction projects, particularly those familiar with Iowa’s environmental and safety codes. Wernimont’s contracting pattern reflects a strong preference for open, unrestricted competition, with 100% of procurements designated as “No Set-Aside.” This approach prioritizes technical capability and value over socioeconomic classifications, though small and minority-owned businesses are not excluded and are encouraged to compete on an equal footing. There is no formal preference for 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, indicating a procurement philosophy centered on merit-based selection rather than mandated socioeconomically targeted awards. The primary technical domain is commercial and institutional building construction, with expertise in managing complex civil works that integrate structural, mechanical, and utility systems. Wernimont routinely procures services including site development, stormwater management integration, ADA-compliant renovations, and energy-efficient building systems, demonstrating deep familiarity with the technical and regulatory demands of municipal infrastructure delivery.