Cathy J. Baker

Cathy J. Baker serves as Branch Chief within the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she leads strategic acquisition planning and contract execution to advance equitable housing access and regulatory compliance. She oversees the procurement of professional services critical to housing program integrity, including data analytics, administrative modernization, and policy research. Her portfolio emphasizes contracts that support underwriting frameworks, housing insecurity studies, and digital infrastructure enhancements, ensuring alignment with HUD’s mission to promote safe, affordable housing through evidence-based decision-making. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable, Baker’s office maintains a balanced procurement approach that engages both large professional services firms and small business vendors. She fosters collaborative vendor partnerships with firms specializing in management consulting, data systems, and technical support services, ensuring responsiveness to evolving housing policy needs. Her team prioritizes transparent, competitive processes that promote accountability and performance-based outcomes across contract lifecycles. Baker demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 76% of her acquisitions conducted under open competition and 16% set aside for total small businesses under FAR 19.5. An additional 8% of awards are targeted toward HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, reflecting a deliberate effort to expand economic opportunity within underserved communities. Her contracting patterns align with federal goals to increase small business participation without compromising mission-critical requirements. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS categories 541611 (administrative management consulting), 541360 (geospatial surveying), 518210 (data processing and cloud infrastructure), and 561110 (office administrative services), with additional activity in 541990 for specialized technical services. She routinely acquires analytical tools, housing data platforms, and operational support systems that enable HUD to modernize its administrative backbone and deliver data-driven housing solutions.