Cynthia C. Young

Cynthia C. Young serves as a key procurement professional within the Procurement Directorate Contracting Division of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, supporting the agency’s mission to enhance border security through the acquisition of mission-critical equipment and specialized services. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on analytical laboratory instrumentation, cybersecurity-enabled detection systems, and security operations support services, ensuring that Border Patrol K9 units and facility operations remain technologically advanced and operationally ready. Her work directly enables the deployment of cutting-edge detection capabilities essential to national security objectives. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Young maintains strategic relationships with a broad spectrum of vendors, including manufacturers of forensic and detection instrumentation, IT service providers, and security systems integrators. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and lifecycle support, fostering long-term vendor partnerships that align with CBP’s operational demands. She prioritizes vendors capable of delivering secure, scalable, and interoperable solutions that meet federal cybersecurity and quality assurance standards. Young’s procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 86.2% of awards issued without set-asides. Nevertheless, she actively supports small business participation, consistently allocating approximately 13.8% of contract opportunities to small business set-asides, including 8(a) competed awards. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising mission-critical requirements, ensuring equitable access for qualified small businesses while maintaining procurement integrity. Her primary technical focus lies in NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing) and 541519 (other computer-related services), reflecting deep expertise in procuring forensic detection systems, data analytics platforms, and secure software solutions. She also regularly acquires security systems services under NAICS 561621, underscoring her proficiency in integrating physical and cyber security infrastructure. Young’s domain knowledge spans forensic science, behavioral detection technologies, and secure information systems, positioning her as a technical procurement leader within the CBP acquisition ecosystem.