Chantel A. Smith

Chantel Smith serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Oceanographic Office (N62306), where she manages the acquisition of specialized oceanographic, geospatial, and environmental sensing systems critical to naval operational readiness. Her portfolio encompasses the procurement of advanced nautical and aeronautical instrumentation, data modeling software, and facilities support services that enable real-time environmental intelligence for undersea warfare, anti-submarine operations, and maritime domain awareness. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring the agency’s technical requirements are met through compliant, mission-aligned contracts that adhere to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) standards and Department of Defense acquisition protocols. Smith cultivates strategic partnerships with a diverse range of vendors, including manufacturers of oceanographic sensors, geospatial data providers, and technical services firms specializing in environmental modeling and data integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical rigor and lifecycle support, often engaging vendors with proven expertise in naval environmental systems and classified data handling. She maintains consistent engagement with both large primes and small businesses, fostering collaborative relationships that ensure innovation and operational resilience across the maritime domain. A strong advocate for socioeconomic diversity in contracting, Smith consistently prioritizes small business participation, with over 53% of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. She also actively supports HUBZone and 8(a) programs, reflecting a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for disadvantaged and geographically underserved firms within the defense industrial base. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334511 for search and navigation systems and NAICS 511210 for data processing and information services, underscoring her technical specialization in oceanographic instrumentation and geospatial analytics. She regularly procures precision sensors, seabed mapping tools, and environmental modeling platforms, demonstrating deep familiarity with the technical demands of naval oceanography and the need for secure, high-fidelity environmental data systems.