Cheri Ward

Cheri Ward serves as Program Manager for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she leads the planning, execution, and oversight of scientific and technical acquisitions critical to NOAA’s mission of environmental monitoring, climate resilience, and oceanographic research. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurements for professional services that support data collection systems, predictive modeling tools, and coastal ecosystem assessments. Her work directly enables NOAA’s scientific infrastructure by ensuring timely access to specialized expertise in environmental analysis, field operations, and technical consulting, aligning procurement strategy with agency priorities in marine science and atmospheric research. Ward maintains consistent partnerships with a select group of contractors including Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP, JNB Services LLC, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC, and The Regents of the University of Colorado. These entities provide high-value scientific consulting, environmental compliance services, and technical support for NOAA’s field and laboratory operations. Her procurement patterns reflect a preference for established, mission-aligned vendors with proven experience in oceanic and atmospheric sciences, fostering long-term collaborations grounded in technical credibility and regulatory compliance. Ward’s portfolio exhibits no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most technically qualified providers regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing scientific rigor and operational readiness over socioeconomic targeting. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in her acquisitions, contractors of all sizes are evaluated solely on technical merit and past performance. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541690 (Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), encompassing environmental modeling, data analytics, field sampling, and scientific instrumentation support. She routinely sources expertise in oceanographic surveying, climate data interpretation, and coastal resilience planning, demonstrating deep domain knowledge in applied environmental science and technical service procurement.