Ameka Ali

Ameka Ali serves as a Contracting Officer for Region 9 Emergency Preparedness under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she manages mission-critical acquisitions to sustain operational readiness for disaster response and recovery across the western U.S. Her portfolio encompasses rapid-deployment infrastructure, temporary housing, emergency communications, and facilities support services essential to maintaining continuity of operations during crises. She exercises full contracting authority under the FAR, overseeing competitive solicitations, contract award decisions, and performance monitoring to ensure compliance with federal standards and agency priorities. Ali cultivates strategic partnerships with a diverse range of vendors, including small businesses, service-disabled veteran-owned firms, and specialized contractors in emergency response sectors. Her working relationships emphasize collaboration, transparency, and performance accountability, fostering long-term vendor engagement through clear requirements development and post-award oversight. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms capable of delivering scalable, field-deployable solutions under tight timelines and high-stakes conditions. A strong advocate for socioeconomic equity, Ali prioritizes small business participation, with 62.5% of her acquisitions set aside for total small businesses and an additional 12.5% reserved for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs, aligning with FEMA’s mandate to build resilient, inclusive supply chains. She actively leverages FAR 19.5 set-asides and encourages subcontracting plans that enhance small business capacity. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS codes including 561210 (facilities support services), 236220 (commercial and institutional construction), and 334220 (broadcast and wireless communications equipment), underscoring expertise in temporary infrastructure, emergency command systems, and mission-critical communications. She routinely procures turnkey solutions for field operations, ensuring technical compliance with DHS cybersecurity and interoperability standards while maintaining agility in dynamic threat environments.