Cherry Summers

Cherry Summers serves as a Contract Specialist within the U.S. Coast Guard’s Headquarters Contract Operations (CG-912), where she plays a pivotal role in executing strategic acquisitions that support national maritime security and operational readiness. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle management of complex contracts for aerospace, maritime, and technical services, with a primary focus on vessel modernization, patrol capability enhancement, and maritime domain awareness systems. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurement actions with the Coast Guard’s mission to sustain and modernize its specialized fleet and surveillance infrastructure. Summers maintains longstanding working relationships with key shipbuilders and maritime service providers, including Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C., Davie Defense Inc., Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, and Rozema’s Boat Works, Inc. These partnerships reflect a consistent reliance on established industrial vendors with proven expertise in naval architecture, vessel construction, and marine systems integration. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical capability, delivery reliability, and lifecycle support, fostering collaborative, performance-based contracting arrangements with these prime contractors. Summers’ contracting portfolio reflects a 100% preference for non-set-aside awards, indicating a focus on full and open competition rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her approach prioritizes mission-critical capability over socioeconomic categorization, ensuring the Coast Guard receives the highest-performing solutions available in the marketplace. Her primary procurement focus is squarely on NAICS 488330 (Navigational Services to Shipping), encompassing specialized maritime support services such as vessel maintenance, navigation system upgrades, and coastal patrol infrastructure sustainment. This specialization underscores her deep technical familiarity with maritime navigation technologies, shipboard systems integration, and the unique operational demands of Coast Guard missions in coastal and riverine environments.