Alena B Manzini-Newman

Alena B. Manzini-Newman serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contracting and Procurement office of the Transportation Security Administration under the Department of Homeland Security. She plays a critical role in executing the agency’s mission to secure the nation’s transportation infrastructure by managing the acquisition of advanced security technologies, including explosive detection systems, irradiation equipment, and GPS-enabled rail monitoring solutions. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of procurement—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with TSA’s strategic security objectives. She routinely handles complex, high-stakes contracts requiring technical evaluation and risk mitigation in cybersecurity and operational support domains. While specific contractor relationships are not currently identifiable in the available data, Alena collaborates with a diverse pool of vendors, including defense contractors, technology integrators, and specialized service providers capable of delivering mission-critical security systems. Her working relationships emphasize performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and rigorous vendor performance monitoring to ensure delivery of reliable, secure, and scalable solutions. Alena demonstrates a balanced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with an equal split between open competitions and Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This pattern reflects a deliberate strategy to foster competition among small businesses while maintaining flexibility to meet urgent operational needs. Her approach supports broad-based small business participation without preference for specific set-aside categories such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB, prioritizing capability and capacity over socioeconomic designation. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 721110 (Hotels and Motels) and 713940 (Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers), which may indicate support for lodging and facility management services tied to TSA personnel deployment, training sites, or temporary operational hubs. This unique specialization underscores her ability to manage non-traditional procurement categories essential to sustaining frontline security operations.