Christopher C. Smaw

Christopher C. Smaw serves as a key procurement lead at the Farm Service Agency’s Texas State Office, where he manages real estate and facility-related acquisitions critical to expanding rural service delivery. His role centers on securing and maintaining physical infrastructure—including leasehold arrangements for field offices—to ensure equitable access to USDA programs across underserved Texas counties. Smaw specializes in non-residential real estate leasing under FAR Part 17 and oversees the full lifecycle of contract actions, from requirements development to award and administration, ensuring alignment with the agency’s strategic goal of localized agricultural outreach. Smaw’s contracting patterns reflect a preference for direct lease agreements with private real estate owners and property management firms, typically through competitive solicitation processes. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with commercial lessors specializing in rural facility operations, fostering partnerships grounded in long-term occupancy agreements and facility modernization needs. His approach prioritizes transparency, competition, and compliance with federal real property management standards. His set-aside preferences show a strong orientation toward open competition, with 82.3% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. However, he actively supports small business participation, allocating 11.8% of awards to 8(a) firms and 5.9% to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a balanced commitment to both efficiency and socioeconomic goals. Smaw’s procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 531120 (Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings) and 531190 (Lessors of Other Real Estate Property), indicating deep expertise in commercial property leasing for government use. He procures turnkey facility solutions including office space, storage, and service hubs tailored to rural agricultural outreach, ensuring that leased properties meet USDA’s operational and accessibility standards for farmer-facing services.