Catherine M. Ansami

Cathy I. Ansami serves as a Purchasing Agent for the USDA Forest Service – Spoc East, where she manages the acquisition of professional, engineering, and support services critical to maintaining federal forest infrastructure. Her role is central to executing the agency’s mission of sustaining forest ecosystems through targeted construction, facility modernization, and environmental management initiatives. Ansami handles a diverse portfolio of procurements ranging from technical consulting and civil engineering to facility maintenance and specialized signage, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and alignment with strategic operational goals. She works closely with project managers and environmental specialists to translate mission needs into solicitation requirements that support resilient, long-term infrastructure outcomes. Ansami collaborates with a broad spectrum of vendors, including small businesses, engineering consultants, and support service providers, fostering partnerships that prioritize technical expertise and operational reliability. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven experience in federal forest land operations, environmental compliance, and infrastructure rehabilitation. Her procurement approach emphasizes clear performance metrics, competitive bidding, and vendor accountability to ensure high-quality deliverables across geographically dispersed forest service sites. A strong advocate for small business participation, Ansami prioritizes socioeconomic set-asides, with 65% of her acquisitions designated for total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and an additional 10% reserved for HUBZone firms. This reflects a deliberate strategy to cultivate local economic development and enhance workforce diversity in rural communities adjacent to federal lands. Her contracting patterns consistently align with USDA’s broader goals of inclusive procurement and community engagement. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541990 (professional and technical services), 237990 (heavy civil engineering construction), and 561990 (support services), reflecting her specialization in environmental planning, infrastructure rehabilitation, and facility operations support. She frequently procures services related to water system upgrades, job corps center modernization, and signage systems, demonstrating deep familiarity with federal land management technical domains and regulatory frameworks.