Alessha K. Mason

Alessha K. Mason serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contracts and Acquisitions Management unit of the U.S. Department of Education, where she plays a pivotal role in executing strategic procurements that advance federal education policy and institutional capacity. She manages the full lifecycle of professional services contracts, from requirements definition and market research through solicitation, evaluation, award, and contract administration. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to strengthen postsecondary education systems through evidence-based research, regulatory compliance infrastructure, and modernization of federal student aid and data collection platforms. Mason specializes in acquiring high-complexity, mission-critical services that require deep subject-matter expertise in education policy and operational systems. Mason maintains a consistent working relationship with LPE-STRATEGIES LLC, a primary contractor providing specialized educational support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term, performance-based partnerships with vendors who demonstrate proven capability in delivering analytical, technical, and advisory services to federal education programs. She engages contractors through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated procurements under FAR Part 15, prioritizing clear performance metrics and outcome-driven deliverables. Mason’s contracting portfolio reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most qualified providers based on technical merit and past performance, rather than socioeconomic designations. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with all federal small business participation goals and encourages competition from all eligible sources. Her procurement activity is exclusively focused on NAICS 611710—Educational Support Services—encompassing contract research, data analysis, policy evaluation, institutional assessment, and technical assistance for federal education programs. She routinely acquires services related to student outcome modeling, compliance auditing, system integration for Title IV data reporting, and capacity-building initiatives for postsecondary institutions, demonstrating deep domain expertise in the operational and regulatory landscape of federal education finance and accountability.