Caroline Russell

Caroline Russell serves as a key procurement lead within the Agricultural Marketing Service’s 3J14 office, overseeing the acquisition of shelf-stable and processed agricultural commodities to support federal nutrition assistance programs. Her role centers on managing full lifecycle contracts for dried, condensed, frozen, and prepared food products, ensuring compliance with federal food safety and nutritional standards. She interfaces directly with manufacturers and logistics providers to secure reliable, high-volume supplies that meet USDA’s mission of nutrition security for vulnerable populations. Her acquisitions are strategically aligned with long-term supply chain resilience goals, emphasizing consistent delivery, quality control, and regulatory adherence across perishable and non-perishable food categories. Russell maintains a primary working relationship with Navcor Logistics LLC, a trusted vendor specializing in end-to-end cold chain logistics and commodity distribution for federal food programs. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for established, performance-driven partners with proven capacity to handle large-scale, time-sensitive deliveries of dairy, cereal, and prepared food products. She engages vendors through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated contracts under FAR Part 12, prioritizing operational reliability and supply continuity over cost alone. Caroline Russell’s procurement portfolio reflects no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This approach underscores a mission-driven focus on scalability, consistency, and supply chain efficiency rather than socioeconomic targeting. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her award structure, all vendors—regardless of size—are evaluated on technical capability, past performance, and compliance with federal food safety protocols. Her industry focus is concentrated in NAICS 311514 (dry, condensed, and evaporated dairy products), 311513 (cheese manufacturing), and 311230 (breakfast cereal manufacturing), reflecting deep expertise in dairy processing, shelf-stable dairy formulations, and fortified cereal production. She routinely procures bulk-packaged, ready-to-ship food items designed for institutional use in schools, food banks, and emergency feeding programs, demonstrating specialized knowledge in food preservation, packaging standards, and USDA commodity specifications.