Christopher Baker

Christopher Baker serves as the primary procurement lead for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), overseeing the acquisition of mission-critical systems supporting oceanographic research, coastal resilience, and marine safety. He manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on advanced instrumentation, maritime infrastructure, and environmental monitoring technologies, ensuring alignment with NOAA’s scientific and operational priorities. His role involves end-to-end contract lifecycle management, from requirements development to award and performance oversight, with an emphasis on acquiring high-precision systems for atmospheric and oceanic data collection. Baker maintains consistent partnerships with a select group of specialized contractors, including Wisconsin Educational Communications Board for communication infrastructure, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP for environmental consulting, JNB Services LLC for technical support, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC for hazardous material management, and The Regents of the University of Colorado for research and development services. These relationships reflect a preference for firms with domain-specific expertise in marine systems, environmental compliance, and applied science, often involving long-term, performance-based agreements. His procurement strategy is heavily skewed toward small business participation, with over 71% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While women-owned small business set-asides are minimal, his pattern demonstrates a strong institutional commitment to fostering small business growth within NOAA’s technical ecosystem, prioritizing firms capable of delivering specialized maritime and environmental solutions. Baker’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing) and 488310 (Port and Harbor Operations), reflecting NOAA’s investment in vessel maintenance and coastal infrastructure. He also regularly procures systems under NAICS 334511 for nautical instrumentation and 336413 for auxiliary aviation equipment, underscoring expertise in maritime and atmospheric sensing technologies. His portfolio centers on durable, high-reliability hardware and services critical to NOAA’s observational and forecasting missions.