Connie T. Dillingham

Connie T. Dillingham serves as a Contract Specialist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), where she plays a critical role in executing complex acquisitions to support the agency’s mission of countering weapons of mass destruction and emerging national security threats. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for high-stakes scientific and technical services, with a focus on research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences. Her work ensures timely delivery of advanced capabilities in threat detection, forensic analysis, and counter-WMD technologies, aligning contract strategies with operational priorities across the Department of Defense. Dillingham maintains strategic relationships with leading technical contractors including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established, mission-aligned firms with deep expertise in defense science, systems integration, and cloud-based analytical platforms. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and long-term collaboration with vendors capable of delivering classified and unclassified R&D solutions under stringent security protocols. Her procurement patterns show a consistent reliance on full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic preferences. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with federal acquisition regulations and emphasizes merit-based selection based on technical merit and past performance. Dillingham’s primary procurement focus is NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)—reflecting her specialization in advanced scientific services. She procures cutting-edge capabilities in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive threat mitigation, including sensor development, modeling and simulation, data analytics, and rapid diagnostic systems. Her expertise lies in bridging scientific innovation with acquisition execution to meet urgent national security requirements.