Christina Cortez

Christina Cortez serves as a key procurement professional within the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to sustain the operational readiness of the U.S. Navy’s non-combatant fleet. She manages acquisitions for critical maritime infrastructure, focusing on vessel maintenance, propulsion system overhauls, and marine environmental control upgrades. Her work ensures the seaworthiness and longevity of auxiliary ships through engineering services, repair contracts, and specialized equipment modernization, aligning closely with the agency’s strategic priorities in naval logistics and fleet sustainment. Cortez cultivates partnerships with a diverse base of contractors, including shipyards, marine engineering firms, and industrial maintenance providers. She routinely engages with vendors specializing in naval vessel repair, heavy machinery servicing, and marine systems integration, fostering long-term relationships with both large-tier prime contractors and qualified small businesses. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical competency, regulatory compliance, and performance-based outcomes, ensuring vendors meet stringent Navy standards for safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship. Cortez demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with a clear preference for small business participation. Nearly 45% of her portfolio is allocated to small business set-asides, including 30% under Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5) and 15% reserved for HUBZone firms. While the majority of awards remain open to all competitors, her consistent use of targeted set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to expand opportunities for disadvantaged and geographically underserved businesses within the maritime industrial base. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing) and 811310 (Commercial and Industrial Machinery Repair), with significant activity in engineering services and specialized marine component manufacturing. She routinely sources propulsion system components, hull integrity upgrades, and vessel automation systems, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with naval auxiliary fleet requirements and the industrial capabilities needed to support them.