Craig J. Carlton

Craig J. Carlton serves as an Agreement Specialist within the IT Contracting Division – PL84 at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), where he plays a pivotal role in executing enterprise-scale IT acquisitions that modernize critical defense infrastructure. His responsibilities include developing, negotiating, and managing complex agreements for cloud-based systems, legacy modernization initiatives, and secure computing environments aligned with DoD mission requirements. Carlton specializes in performance-based, outcomes-driven contracting for custom software development and integrated IT services, ensuring technical compliance, risk mitigation, and operational resilience across high-priority defense networks. He maintains strategic partnerships with leading technology providers, most notably International Business Machines Corporation and Iron Bow Technologies, LLC, engaging them on long-term, mission-critical contracts for enterprise cloud migration, cybersecurity integration, and legacy system replacement. His working relationships reflect a preference for established industry leaders with proven capabilities in delivering scalable, secure, and compliant IT solutions, often under hybrid and multi-cloud architectures. Carlton’s approach emphasizes technical rigor, vendor accountability, and continuous performance monitoring to ensure alignment with DISA’s modernization roadmap. Carlton’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of his agreements awarded through full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate focus on accessing the broadest possible talent pool of technical experts to meet the agency’s demanding performance standards, rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While small business participation is not structurally prioritized in his portfolio, all procurements adhere strictly to FAR compliance and merit-based evaluation criteria. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), accounting for 62.5% of his activity, followed by 541519 (Other Computer-Related Services) and 541330 (Engineering Services). He consistently acquires advanced software development, systems integration, and infrastructure engineering services tailored to secure, cloud-native environments, demonstrating deep expertise in DevSecOps, containerization, and zero-trust architecture implementation.