Cheri Richards

Cheri Richards serves as a key procurement lead within the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard IMF, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to sustain and modernize the U.S. Navy’s fleet through expert contract management of ship repair and industrial maintenance services. She oversees the acquisition of specialized shipyard infrastructure, precision maintenance systems, and mission-critical industrial support services, ensuring alignment with naval readiness standards and lifecycle management requirements. Her work directly enables the shipyard’s ability to execute complex overhauls, hull repairs, and system upgrades across the Navy’s surface and submarine fleets, making her a pivotal figure in maintaining operational fleet availability. Richards maintains consistent relationships with a core group of industrial contractors, including LAKE UNION DRYDOCK CO, SUNBELT RENTALS, INC, FLUKE ELECTRONICS CORP, PAULEY RODINE INC, and MOTIVE POWER MARINE, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in naval shipyard environments, offering specialized services such as drydock operations, industrial equipment rentals, calibration and testing systems, structural welding, and marine propulsion maintenance. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, technical compliance, and long-term vendor performance, fostering collaborative, mission-aligned relationships grounded in regulatory adherence and quality assurance. A strong advocate for small business participation, Richards consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Aside contracts under FAR 19.5, with approximately 71.4% of her acquisitions reserved for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to expand economic opportunity within the defense industrial base while ensuring access to agile, niche-capable providers. Her procurement patterns demonstrate a sustained commitment to socioeconomic goals, regularly awarding contracts to small disadvantaged, HUBZone, and veteran-owned firms capable of delivering specialized shipyard services. Her entire acquisition portfolio is concentrated under NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), underscoring deep technical expertise in naval vessel sustainment. She procures high-precision industrial equipment, marine electrical systems, non-destructive testing tools, and custom fabrication services critical to shipyard operations. Her domain knowledge spans naval architecture, corrosion control, and propulsion system maintenance, ensuring all acquisitions meet stringent military specifications and safety standards.