Denise Harper

Denise E. Harper serves as a Contracting Officer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she manages the acquisition of technical and operational services critical to advancing Earth system science and environmental monitoring. In this role, she executes full-cycle procurement activities for complex, mission-critical contracts supporting oceanographic research, atmospheric data collection, and coastal resilience initiatives. Her portfolio emphasizes information technology, data infrastructure, and analytical services that enable NOAA’s scientific missions, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and strategic procurement goals aligned with national environmental priorities. Harper maintains established relationships with a diverse set of contractors, including the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP, JNB Services LLC, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC, and The Regents of the University of Colorado. These partnerships reflect a balanced mix of academic institutions, specialized consulting firms, and service providers delivering technical support, environmental management, and IT infrastructure solutions. Her contracting approach prioritizes performance-based outcomes and long-term vendor collaboration, fostering reliable delivery of mission-enabling capabilities across NOAA’s operational domains. While the majority of her acquisitions are conducted under full and open competition, Harper consistently allocates approximately 20% of her portfolio to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses in the federal marketplace. Her socioeconomic contracting patterns reflect a focus on enabling small business participation without reliance on specialized set-asides such as 8(a) or HUBZone, favoring broad-based small business eligibility. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Other Computer Related Services (541519), Data Processing and Web Hosting (518210), and Software Publishing (511210), underscoring her specialization in digital infrastructure, data analytics, and cloud-based scientific platforms. She also procures catering services (722320) to support field operations and scientific missions, reflecting the operational diversity of NOAA’s mission execution. Harper’s expertise lies in aligning technical procurement with scientific objectives, ensuring acquisition strategies directly support NOAA’s goals in climate resilience and environmental stewardship.