Debra C. Hawkins

Debra C. Hawkins serves as a key procurement professional responsible for managing complex acquisitions in scientific and technical domains, with a focus on analytical instrumentation, biotechnology research, and specialized professional services. She plays a central role in executing the agency’s acquisition strategy by ensuring compliance with federal contracting regulations while prioritizing technical precision and mission alignment. Her portfolio primarily encompasses high-value laboratory equipment, research support services, and professional technical consulting, requiring deep familiarity with FAR provisions and technical specification evaluation. She routinely oversees competitive solicitations, including both full and open competitions and targeted small business set-asides, ensuring acquisitions meet rigorous scientific and operational standards. Her contractor relationships are predominantly with manufacturers of analytical laboratory instruments and merchant wholesalers of professional scientific equipment, alongside firms specializing in biotechnology R&D and technical services. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she maintains consistent engagement with vendors capable of delivering certified, high-precision instrumentation and compliant technical support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes vendor reliability, technical documentation compliance, and post-award performance monitoring, fostering long-term partnerships with suppliers who demonstrate capability in regulated environments. Hawkins exhibits a strong preference for full and open competition, with 91.1% of her awards issued without set-aside restrictions. However, she consistently allocates 8.9% of her contracting activity to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a measured but deliberate commitment to small business participation. Her approach avoids reliance on specialized socioeconomic programs like 8(a) or HUBZone, instead favoring broad-based small business eligibility under the general small business category. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), underscoring expertise in procuring chromatography systems, spectrometers, and other precision lab equipment. Secondary emphasis on NAICS 541714 (Biotechnology R&D) and 423490 (Professional Equipment Wholesalers) highlights her technical domain knowledge in life sciences and supply chain logistics for research-intensive environments. She routinely evaluates proposals requiring validation of technical specifications, calibration standards, and compliance with ISO or ANSI protocols.