Catherine Giella

Catherine M. Giella serves as the Supervisory Contract Specialist at the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command Norfolk, where she oversees the acquisition and management of critical maintenance, repair, and modernization services for the U.S. Navy’s non-combatant government-owned vessels. In this leadership role, she ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while guiding contract teams through complex technical procurements involving propulsion systems, marine HVAC, navigation instrumentation, and shipyard infrastructure. Her portfolio spans industrial support services essential to sustaining the Maritime Prepositioning Force and other strategic sealift assets, requiring deep coordination with naval engineers and fleet readiness personnel to align contracting outcomes with operational mission needs. Giella cultivates strategic relationships with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in shipbuilding, marine engineering, and industrial maintenance. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages qualified small and mid-tier firms capable of delivering specialized technical services under performance-based contracts. Her team prioritizes vendor reliability, past performance, and technical certification, particularly in areas requiring naval vessel experience and ASME, API, or NAVSEA compliance standards. A strong advocate for small business participation, Giella directs nearly 45% of her acquisitions toward Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a deliberate commitment to expanding economic opportunity within the defense industrial base. Her contracting patterns show minimal use of other socioeconomic set-asides, indicating a preference for broad small business eligibility over targeted programs, while maintaining rigorous evaluation criteria to ensure mission-critical quality. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), followed by 333618 (Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing), underscoring her expertise in propulsion, auxiliary machinery, and vessel systems integration. She also oversees contracts for fabricated structural metal components and marine-related facility upgrades, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of both shipyard operations and industrial support ecosystems critical to naval readiness.