Dana Malesic

Dana Malesic serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, specifically supporting the CSA East 6 region. Responsible for managing acquisitions aligned with forest ecosystem sustainability, Malesic oversees contracts for critical operational services including forestry support, soil preparation, landscaping, and janitorial maintenance. Their role is central to executing the agency’s mission of maintaining forest health and public safety through timely, compliant, and mission-driven contracting. Malesic specializes in sole-source and competitive small business set-asides under FAR Part 19, ensuring acquisitions directly support on-the-ground land management objectives. Malesic maintains consistent working relationships with a focused cohort of specialized contractors, including American Classic Construction Inc., Zimmer Plowing LLC, Lewis Mobile Welding LLC, Miller, Sheila D, and Moore & Shryock LLC. These vendors provide niche, labor-intensive services essential to forest infrastructure and ecological restoration, such as brush clearing, trail maintenance, mobile welding for equipment repair, and site-specific landscaping. The contracting patterns reflect a preference for local, regionally based firms with proven expertise in forest service operations, fostering reliable, responsive partnerships that align with field-level operational needs. Malesic demonstrates a steadfast commitment to small business participation, with 100% of acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize economic opportunity for small, locally owned enterprises engaged in forestry support services. No other socioeconomic set-asides (such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB) are utilized, indicating a broad-based focus on all qualified small businesses rather than targeted categories, reinforcing equitable access and regional economic resilience. The procurement portfolio is exclusively centered on NAICS 115310 — Support Activities for Forestry — encompassing services like prescribed burning support, invasive species control, erosion control, and forest road maintenance. Malesic’s technical expertise lies in understanding the operational demands of federal land management, ensuring contracts specify precise performance standards for ecological outcomes and safety compliance. Their work directly enables the Forest Service’s mission through targeted, environmentally sound contracting practices.