Colleen Hightower

Colleen Hightower serves as a Contracting Officer for the USDA Forest Service, where she manages complex acquisition programs critical to sustaining federal forest and grassland operations. Her responsibilities include planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering contracts that support wildfire response, ecological restoration, and remote infrastructure maintenance. She specializes in air transportation and logistical support services essential for operational readiness in rugged, inaccessible terrain, ensuring mission continuity across the nation’s most challenging environments. Her acquisitions are strategically aligned with the Forest Service’s priorities in emergency response, resource management, and ecosystem resilience. Hightower maintains consistent working relationships with a focused group of contractors, including ACI FEDERAL INC, ONE STOP RECRUITING LLC, GONDO ROY E MD, THE LOCUMS CO, LLC, and AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC. These partnerships primarily provide specialized aviation services, medical support for field personnel, and air transportation logistics tailored to federal land management needs. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, regulatory compliance, and mission-critical performance, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in performance-based outcomes and stringent safety standards. Her procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for unrestricted competition, with 94.1% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation remains a secondary priority, she occasionally utilizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but compliant approach to socioeconomic goals without compromising operational urgency or service quality. Hightower’s portfolio is dominated by NAICS codes in air transportation support, particularly 481212 (Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation) and 488190 (Other Support Activities for Air Transportation), with significant activity in 481211 (Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation). She procures specialized aerial services for fire suppression, crew transport, equipment delivery, and medical evacuation, requiring deep technical understanding of aviation logistics, federal flight regulations, and emergency response protocols. Her expertise lies in integrating air mobility solutions into broader land management operations.