Deah Gerard-May

Deah Gerard-May serves as a key procurement professional within the W2SD Endist Philadelphia office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, overseeing complex civil infrastructure and maritime engineering acquisitions critical to national defense readiness. Responsible for managing contracts under the Department of the Army’s engineering mission, Gerard-May handles large-scale construction, dredging, and coastal resilience projects that ensure the operational integrity of military installations, navigable waterways, and shorefront assets. Their procurement portfolio centers on heavy civil engineering, shipyard modernization, and environmental landscaping services, requiring deep technical oversight and compliance with federal construction and environmental regulations. Gerard-May maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of industry leaders including Boh Environmental, L.L.C., CONRAD SHIPYARD, L.L.C., HDR ARCHITECTURE, INC., BUCHART HORN INC, and NORFOLK DREDGING COMPANY. These partnerships reflect a preference for firms with proven expertise in marine construction, dredging operations, and integrated engineering design. The contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, technical capability validation, and performance-based contract management to ensure mission-critical deliverables meet Army standards for durability and environmental compliance. A strong advocate for small business participation, Gerard-May prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with approximately two-thirds of procurements reserved for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster economic opportunity within the defense industrial base while leveraging the agility and specialized capabilities of small firms in engineering, environmental remediation, and ship repair services. No set-aside awards are reserved for large primes only, reinforcing an inclusive contracting philosophy aligned with DoD socioeconomic goals. The procurement focus is concentrated in three primary NAICS categories: 561730 (Landscaping Services), 336611 (Ship Building and Repairing), and 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction). These reflect core competencies in coastal infrastructure, vessel maintenance, and large-scale earthwork and hydraulic projects, demonstrating expertise in integrating environmental stewardship with military engineering objectives.