Catherine M. Cotten

Catherine Cotten serves as a Contract Specialist within the FA2823 AFTC PZIO under the Department of the Air Force, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions for advanced aerospace test and evaluation systems. Her portfolio centers on procuring high-precision instrumentation for avionics, electronic warfare, radar, and signal intelligence platforms, ensuring mission readiness through cutting-edge sensing and communication technologies. She manages the full lifecycle of contract actions—from solicitation and source selection to award and administration—aligning procurement activities with the agency’s strategic imperative to modernize test infrastructure and enhance electromagnetic spectrum dominance. Cotten maintains established working relationships with key contractors including TOM HAMMONDS ENTERPRISES, LLC, STREET LEGAL INDUSTRIES, INC, SPEEGLE CONSTRUCTION, INC, DETECT INC, and THE CONTROLS COMPANY, LLC. These partnerships reflect a consistent reliance on specialized vendors capable of delivering custom engineering solutions, ruggedized test equipment, and mission-critical infrastructure support. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical proficiency and performance-based contracting, fostering collaborative relationships with firms that demonstrate deep domain expertise in aerospace systems integration and field-deployable instrumentation. Her contracting patterns show a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with 40% of awards designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, indicating a strong emphasis on leveraging small business innovation. While no single socioeconomic category dominates, her portfolio consistently includes qualified small businesses capable of meeting stringent technical requirements for defense applications. Cotten’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336212 (Truck Trailer Manufacturing) and 517312 (Wireless Telecommunications Carriers), each accounting for 40% of her activity, with additional emphasis on NAICS 336411 (Aircraft Manufacturing). These categories reflect her specialization in procuring mobile test ranges, field-deployable communication arrays, and modified aircraft platforms used for airborne system validation, underscoring her technical fluency in aerospace test and evaluation domains.