Cheryl L. Taylor-Whalen

Cheryl L. Taylor-Whalen serves as a procurement professional dedicated to advancing federal forestry support initiatives through strategic contracting. She plays a pivotal role in executing acquisitions aligned with national land management and environmental stewardship objectives, ensuring that critical services for forest health, wildfire mitigation, and ecological restoration are delivered efficiently and in compliance with federal procurement regulations. Her portfolio centers exclusively on support activities for forestry, encompassing contract types such as performance-based service contracts, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles, and task orders for technical and operational assistance. She works closely with federal land agencies to translate mission needs into clear, competitively awarded requirements that promote accountability and outcomes-based delivery. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate and exclusive focus on small business participation, with 100% of her acquisitions set aside under FAR 19.5 for small businesses. This unwavering commitment ensures that a broad spectrum of small, independent contractors—ranging from regional forestry consultants to specialized environmental service providers—have equitable access to federal opportunities. She actively cultivates partnerships with small businesses that possess niche expertise in silviculture, forest inventory, invasive species control, and prescribed burning operations, fostering a resilient and diverse vendor base. Taylor-Whalen’s procurement expertise is narrowly concentrated in NAICS 115310, Support Activities for Forestry, which includes services such as timber harvesting support, forest road maintenance, brush control, and ecological monitoring. Her technical domain knowledge enables her to craft precise statements of work that align with USDA Forest Service and other land management agency standards. She specializes in procuring field-based, labor-intensive services requiring specialized equipment, seasonal workforce mobilization, and adherence to environmental compliance protocols, ensuring that contracting actions support sustainable forest ecosystems while empowering small business growth.