April Graves

April Graves serves as the primary procurement lead for the National Cemetery Administration, overseeing the acquisition of mission-critical services and infrastructure support essential to the stewardship of national veterans’ cemeteries. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on grounds maintenance, cemetery infrastructure, and environmental services, ensuring compliance with federal standards for dignity, permanence, and historical preservation. Her role is central to executing the agency’s strategic priorities in cemetery sustainability, capacity expansion, and legacy protection through timely and compliant contracting practices. Graves maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC, LAUBACKER ENTERPRISES, INC., and HAMILTON PACIFIC CHAMBERLAIN LLC, among others, who provide specialized services in site development, landscaping, and facility maintenance. Her procurement approach favors established vendors with demonstrated expertise in federal cemetery operations, fostering long-term partnerships that ensure continuity of care and adherence to strict preservation protocols. She frequently engages contractors capable of delivering integrated, multi-disciplinary solutions across civil works and environmental services. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 70.1% of awards issued without set-aside designation. However, she consistently prioritizes socioeconomic inclusion, directing 23.9% of awards to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and 6.0% to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both efficiency and veteran-centric contracting goals. Her primary NAICS focus is on landscaping services (561730), reflecting the agency’s emphasis on groundskeeping and horticultural maintenance. She also procures plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning services (238220), solid waste collection (562111), and commercial equipment repair (811310), underscoring her technical expertise in sustaining complex, high-traffic cemetery infrastructure. While surgical instrument manufacturing (339112) appears in her portfolio, it is likely tied to specialized memorial or monument components, indicating nuanced procurement knowledge across both operational and commemorative domains.