Denise Thomas

Denise Thomas serves as a key procurement lead within the Cibola National Forest, overseeing the acquisition of critical infrastructure and operational support services essential to federal forest management. She ensures compliance with USDA and U.S. Forest Service directives by managing contracts that sustain forest health, enhance public safety, and support recreational access across federal lands. Her acquisitions primarily focus on civil engineering, utilities, and environmental services that enable field operations, including wildfire mitigation infrastructure, sanitation systems, and trail maintenance. Thomas plays a central role in aligning procurement strategy with the agency’s mission of ecological stewardship and resilient infrastructure. She maintains consistent working relationships with core contractors including RELIANCE CONTRACTORS INC and ALERTWEST, INC, both of which provide specialized heavy civil construction and environmental services. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in remote-site operations, hazardous material handling, and federally compliant construction practices. Thomas engages these contractors through task-order and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) mechanisms, fostering long-term, performance-based collaborations that prioritize safety, timeliness, and environmental compliance. Thomas demonstrates an exceptional commitment to small business participation, with 97.3% of her procurements structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to empower local and regional small businesses, particularly those certified under HUBZone, SDVOSB, and other socioeconomic programs. Her contracting patterns prioritize inclusive economic development while ensuring technical capability and operational readiness across rural and high-risk forest environments. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 237310 (highway and bridge construction), 237990 (other heavy civil engineering), and 237110 (water and sewer line construction), with additional emphasis on plumbing, heating, and specialized building equipment systems. She routinely procures services related to road rehabilitation, erosion control, water distribution, and sanitation infrastructure—domains requiring deep technical knowledge of federal environmental regulations and forest-specific engineering standards.