Cathie Stropki

Cathie Stropki serves as a Contracts Negotiator for the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where she plays a pivotal role in securing advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. She manages complex procurement actions for research and development contracts focused on next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Her work directly supports the agency’s mission to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge engineering solutions from lab to field, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities through rigorous contract negotiation, risk assessment, and performance-based acquisition strategies. Stropki maintains consistent, long-term relationships with leading aerospace and advanced materials contractors, including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit AeroSystems Inc., and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by deep technical collaboration, often involving proprietary research, prototype development, and systems integration under cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contract vehicles. Her negotiation approach emphasizes technical feasibility, schedule integrity, and compliance with federal acquisition regulations, fostering trust with industry partners while safeguarding government interests. Stropki’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, reflecting the specialized, mission-critical nature of the technologies she acquires. There is no current use of 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, as the technical requirements demand established capabilities in advanced propulsion and materials science that are typically held by large, highly specialized firms with extensive DoD experience and certified facilities. Her primary focus lies in NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences), encompassing computational fluid dynamics, combustion modeling, and adaptive flight control systems, alongside NAICS 325998 for advanced chemical formulations used in thermal protection and lightweight structural components. She specializes in procuring high-risk, high-reward R&D efforts requiring multidisciplinary expertise in aerospace engineering, materials science, and systems integration.