Claudia Mejia Forte

Claudia Mejia Forte serves as a Contract Specialist within the Incident Support Section (ISS70) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions to secure critical services that sustain emergency response and recovery operations during domestic disasters. Her acquisitions focus on professional, scientific, and technical services essential to operational continuity, public safety, and survivor support in austere environments. She executes solicitations, evaluates proposals, negotiates terms, and administers contracts under FAR and agency-specific guidelines, ensuring compliance with federal procurement standards while aligning with ISS70’s mission of rapid, scalable response. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Claudia maintains collaborative relationships with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in technical services, advertising, and equipment leasing. She engages with both large-capacity providers and small businesses to ensure responsive, mission-critical support during time-sensitive operations. Her contracting approach emphasizes flexibility, performance-based outcomes, and vendor reliability under high-stress conditions typical of emergency response scenarios. Claudia demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with 25% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While the majority of her contracts remain open to all competitors, she actively prioritizes socioeconomic programs that enhance access for small businesses, including those owned by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, in alignment with DHS and FEMA’s broader inclusion goals. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), encompassing emergency planning, logistics coordination, and technical consulting. She also regularly procures advertising services (NAICS 541810) for public awareness campaigns and office equipment leasing (NAICS 532420) to support field operations. Her technical expertise spans disaster response systems, communications infrastructure, and resource deployment frameworks critical to federal emergency management.