Deana M. Hudgens

Deana M. Hudgens serves as a Contracting Officer within the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing the agency’s mission to ensure equitable access to nutritious food through robust, compliant, and efficient procurement practices. She is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of acquisitions related to federal nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP, WIC, and the National School Lunch Program. Her portfolio centers on technology-enabled solutions that support program integrity, data analytics, and operational modernization, with a strong emphasis on securing custom software systems that enhance beneficiary outreach, eligibility determination, and performance reporting. While specific contractor names are not disclosed in available records, Hudgens consistently engages with a network of vendors specializing in federal nutrition program support, particularly those capable of delivering secure, scalable, and interoperable software solutions. Her procurement patterns reflect a preference for collaborative, performance-based contracting approaches that prioritize innovation, compliance with federal standards, and vendor accountability in high-stakes public service environments. Hudgens maintains a 100% commitment to small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, ensuring that all solicitations are reserved exclusively for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate and strategic focus on fostering economic opportunity and expanding the pool of qualified federal contractors, particularly those owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Her contracting practices align with the USDA’s broader socioeconomic goals, promoting inclusive participation across diverse small business communities. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541511, Custom Computer Programming Services, underscoring her specialization in developing and integrating bespoke software applications for nutrition program administration. She routinely procures solutions involving data integration, cloud-based case management systems, automated eligibility workflows, and secure web portals—technologies critical to modernizing federal nutrition assistance infrastructure and improving service delivery at scale.