Alice GAO

Alice GAO serves as a SLED procurement professional within the Maryland State Highway Administration, supporting the agency’s mission to maintain and modernize the state’s transportation infrastructure. In this role, she manages the acquisition of critical construction materials, equipment, and specialized services essential to highway preservation, bridge integrity, and roadside maintenance operations. Her responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts aligned with state and federal procurement regulations, ensuring compliance with technical specifications and performance standards for infrastructure projects. She typically handles complex procurements involving heavy machinery, concrete construction services, and transportation-related equipment, working closely with engineering and project management teams to align contracting strategies with capital improvement plans. While specific contractor relationships are not currently documented, GAO’s procurement patterns indicate consistent engagement with wholesale distributors of construction and mining equipment, poured concrete foundation contractors, and highway construction firms. Her working relationships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in civil infrastructure delivery, particularly those capable of meeting stringent safety, environmental, and durability requirements. She collaborates with suppliers who provide specialized equipment for pavement rehabilitation, drainage systems, and traffic control technologies, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in performance reliability and regulatory compliance. Alice GAO’s contracting activity shows no reliance on set-aside programs, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on technical capability and cost-effectiveness over socioeconomic classifications, though she remains compliant with all federal and state small business participation requirements. Her approach prioritizes competitive bidding to ensure value and quality, without formal preferences for 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 423810 for construction and mining machinery wholesalers, 238110 for poured concrete foundation contractors, and 237310 for highway and bridge construction services. She specializes in acquiring heavy-duty equipment, concrete formwork systems, erosion control materials, and traffic signal infrastructure, demonstrating deep technical knowledge in civil engineering procurement and transportation asset lifecycle management.