Birdie B. Lemons

Birdie B. Lemons serves as a Contract Negotiator responsible for managing complex acquisitions within the aerospace and defense supply chain. In this role, she leads the negotiation, evaluation, and award of contracts for critical aircraft components, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with national security objectives. Her work directly supports the procurement mission by securing high-integrity, mission-critical parts through competitive and transparent processes. She specializes in sole-source and sealed-bid negotiations for specialized manufacturing contracts, often involving technical specifications requiring deep engineering understanding and supply chain risk assessment. Lemons cultivates collaborative relationships with a focused cohort of Tier 1 and Tier 2 aerospace manufacturers, particularly those with expertise in precision machining, avionics integration, and propulsion systems. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms holding AS9100 certification and capable of meeting stringent military and FAA compliance standards. Her negotiation style emphasizes long-term supplier development, performance-based contracting, and risk-sharing mechanisms to ensure reliability and innovation in critical subsystems. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for small business participation, with 27.5% of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. Though no specific socioeconomic categories like 8(a) or HUBZone are dominant, her consistent use of small business set-asides demonstrates a deliberate strategy to expand the industrial base and foster capacity among qualified manufacturers. She actively encourages small firms to compete for technically demanding contracts by providing pre-solicitation outreach and clarifying technical requirements early in the acquisition lifecycle. Lemons’ primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing), which accounts for over 90% of her activity, alongside NAICS 336412 (Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing). She procures flight-critical components such as actuation systems, fuel control units, and auxiliary power units, requiring deep domain knowledge in aerospace materials, tolerances, and certification pathways. Her expertise spans both commercial aviation and defense applications, making her a key liaison between industry innovators and operational readiness requirements.