Cathy VanAlyne

Cathy E. Van Alyne serves as a Contract Specialist at the U.S. Forest Service’s R10 Alaska Regional Office, where she manages the acquisition of critical infrastructure and operational support services essential to maintaining federal land access in Alaska’s remote and ecologically sensitive regions. Her responsibilities include developing, negotiating, and administering contracts aligned with federal procurement regulations, with a focus on transportation, forestry support, and facility maintenance projects. Van Alyne plays a pivotal role in ensuring that acquisitions support the agency’s mission of sustainable resource management and resilient public infrastructure, often navigating complex logistical and environmental constraints unique to Alaska’s terrain. Van Alyne collaborates extensively with small and mid-sized contractors specializing in civil engineering, forestry support, and facility rehabilitation. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven experience in remote-area construction and environmental compliance. Her working relationships emphasize technical proficiency, safety record, and capacity to operate under harsh conditions, fostering long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance reliability and regulatory adherence. A strong advocate for socioeconomic contracting, Van Alyne prioritizes small business participation, with over 84% of her acquisitions structured as set-asides—primarily Total Small Business and HUBZone set-asides. Her consistent use of FAR 19.5 set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to stimulate economic development in underserved Alaskan communities and to leverage the specialized capabilities of HUBZone-certified firms with local presence and operational knowledge. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) and 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), reflecting her expertise in transportation infrastructure and forest management support services. She also frequently procures residential remodeling and heavy civil engineering services, demonstrating technical fluency in construction standards, environmental mitigation, and cold-weather engineering practices critical to Alaska’s operational environment.