Carla Jenkins Smith

Carla Jenkins Smith serves as a key procurement professional within the CDC Office of Acquisition Services, supporting the agency’s mission to safeguard public health through strategic acquisition of critical biomedical and diagnostic capabilities. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on laboratory diagnostics, infectious disease research, and public health surveillance systems, ensuring timely access to advanced technologies that enable rapid response to emerging health threats. Her work directly supports CDC’s scientific infrastructure by facilitating the procurement of analytical instruments, in-vitro diagnostic substances, and biotechnology R&D services essential to national health security. She maintains longstanding partnerships with leading providers in the public health sector, including General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., GSK LLC, MRIGLOBAL, and Cepheid, reflecting a preference for established vendors with proven expertise in high-compliance, mission-critical environments. Her contracting patterns emphasize reliability, regulatory adherence, and technical sophistication, particularly in areas requiring FDA-regulated products and CLIA-compliant laboratory systems. These relationships are built on consistent performance and alignment with CDC’s operational needs in biosafety, data analytics, and diagnostic scalability. Carla’s procurement approach prioritizes open competition, with 88.9% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, indicating a focus on capability over socioeconomic classification. Nevertheless, she actively supports small business participation through Total Small Business Set-Asides, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both mission efficacy and socioeconomic goals under FAR 19.5. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instrumentation) and 325413 (in-vitro diagnostic manufacturing), with additional emphasis on biotechnology R&D (541714) and engineering services (541330). She specializes in acquiring complex diagnostic platforms, reagent kits, and integrated data systems that support CDC’s frontline surveillance and laboratory networks, underscoring deep technical fluency in public health diagnostics and biomedical innovation.