Darnese Wilkerson

Darnese Wilkerson serves as an ACF Procurement Advisor, providing strategic procurement guidance and oversight to ensure compliance with federal acquisition regulations and agency mission objectives. In this role, she leads the planning, solicitation, and award of professional services contracts, ensuring alignment with statutory requirements and sound fiscal stewardship. Her work is central to the agency’s procurement mission, enabling the acquisition of high-quality, mission-critical support services that advance program delivery. She routinely manages complex, performance-based acquisitions under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, with a focus on outcome-driven contracting and risk mitigation through robust evaluation criteria and source selection procedures. While specific contractor names are not available, Darnese cultivates relationships with a broad network of professional service providers, particularly those with demonstrated expertise in technical advisory, program evaluation, and operational support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes competitive fairness, transparency, and vendor engagement, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages innovation and accountability. She consistently engages with vendors through pre-solicitation outreach, industry days, and clear communication of evaluation priorities to ensure a robust and diverse pool of qualified offerors. Darnese maintains a 100% commitment to Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a steadfast dedication to socioeconomic contracting goals. All of her acquisitions are structured to maximize opportunities for small businesses, ensuring equitable access to federal contracts without reliance on other set-aside programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB. Her pattern of awarding exclusively to small businesses underscores a strategic focus on building capacity within the small business community and promoting long-term economic resilience. Her procurement portfolio is entirely focused on NAICS 541990—All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services—encompassing a wide array of non-clinical, advisory, and analytical services. These include program evaluation, policy analysis, data management, training development, and technical consulting. Darnese’s domain expertise lies in acquiring high-integrity, evidence-based support services that enhance program efficiency, compliance, and outcomes across federal initiatives.