Athena Straniere

Athena Straniere serves as a key procurement professional within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education, supporting the federal government’s trust responsibilities to federally recognized Native American tribes and Alaska Native villages. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions aligned with tribal self-determination, including infrastructure modernization, educational technology, and environmental services. Her work directly enables the delivery of critical services on reservations, ensuring compliance with federal contracting statutes and tribal consultation requirements. Straniere typically handles complex, mission-critical contracts requiring coordination with tribal governments and adherence to unique jurisdictional frameworks under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. She maintains longstanding relationships with a select group of contractors experienced in serving tribal communities, including SEALASKA CONSTRUCTORS LLC, TEPA EC, LLC, GOLDBELT HAWK L.L.C., CGI FEDERAL INC., and COOPER ZIETZ ENGINEERS, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with demonstrated expertise in tribal infrastructure, cultural competency, and remote-site operations. Straniere’s contracting patterns emphasize collaboration with firms that have prior experience working under the Department of the Interior’s unique regulatory environment and tribal sovereignty considerations. Her procurement strategy prioritizes socioeconomic opportunities for Native-owned businesses, with nearly 50% of awards issued without set-aside and a strong preference for Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) set-asides—specific to the Department of the Interior and Indian Health Service programs. An additional 11.5% of awards are designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate commitment to expanding economic participation by Indigenous-owned enterprises. Straniere’s technical focus centers on NAICS categories including software publishing (513210), professional training (611430), and audio/video equipment manufacturing (334310), indicating a growing emphasis on digital learning platforms, tribal education technology, and communication systems. Her expertise spans procurement for both physical infrastructure and information systems critical to tribal governance and educational equity.