Cathy Summers

Cathy Summers serves as a Contracting Officer within the FA8773 Acc 38 Cons agency under the Department of the Air Force, where she leads the acquisition of mission-critical cyber and space domain capabilities. Her portfolio centers on securing and sustaining advanced IT infrastructure, secure communications systems, and formalized cyber operations training environments essential to Air Force readiness. She manages full lifecycle contracts—from solicitation and evaluation to award and administration—for complex technical services supporting high-tempo, classified computing operations. Her work directly enables the agency’s mission to defend national interests in cyberspace and space domains through agile, compliant procurement practices aligned with DoD acquisition regulations. Summers maintains a consistent working relationship with AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, a primary contractor delivering specialized cyber services, systems integration, and facility support for sensitive computing environments. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and technical excellence, favoring long-term partnerships with vendors demonstrating proven expertise in secure infrastructure and operational training. She engages primarily with established defense contractors capable of meeting stringent security compliance requirements, including NIST, DIACAP, and RMF standards, ensuring mission continuity and risk mitigation across classified and unclassified networks. Summers’ procurement activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a focus on technical capability and mission readiness over socioeconomic categorization, aligning with the agency’s urgent operational needs. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, her contracts remain accessible to all qualified vendors meeting rigorous security and performance benchmarks. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), encompassing cyber training, incident response, and operational support, followed by 541513 (Computer Facilities Management Services) for secure data center operations and 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) for architecture development. She routinely acquires services related to secure network engineering, mission-specific software development, and cyber workforce training, demonstrating deep expertise in the technical domains critical to modern air and space force operations.