Catherine M. Foster

Catherine M. Foster supports the U.S. Coast Guard’s Hq Contract Operations (CG-912) unit in executing strategic acquisition initiatives critical to national maritime security and operational readiness. She manages a diverse portfolio of service contracts focused on aerospace, maritime, and technical systems, with emphasis on modernizing vessel fleets, enhancing maritime domain awareness, and sustaining search and detection capabilities. Her work directly enables the Coast Guard’s mission to secure coastal and riverine environments through timely, compliant procurement of specialized services aligned with federal acquisition regulations and defense acquisition priorities. Foster maintains longstanding relationships with key shipbuilding and maritime support contractors including Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C., Davie Defense Inc., Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, and Rozema’s Boat Works, Inc. These partnerships reflect a focus on ship construction, vessel modernization, and technical support services essential to the Coast Guard’s fleet sustainment and force expansion goals. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, performance-based contracting, and rigorous oversight to ensure delivery of mission-critical maritime assets. Foster’s procurement portfolio exhibits a 100% preference for full and open competition with no set-asides, indicating a strategic emphasis on maximizing technical capability and industrial base efficiency over socioeconomic set-aside programs. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB mechanisms, her contracting decisions reflect a focus on vendor capacity, technical expertise, and mission alignment rather than socioeconomic classifications. Her primary procurement focus lies in IT and management services, with dominant NAICS codes in custom computer programming, other computer-related services, and administrative management consulting. These reflect a strong demand for software development, systems integration, and operational support services underpinning the Coast Guard’s digital infrastructure and command-and-control systems. Her expertise centers on integrating advanced maritime technologies with enterprise-level administrative and technical service delivery.