Donald S. Parks

Donald S. Parks serves as a Contract Officer within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Propulsion Directorate (FA8650), where he manages the acquisition of advanced aerospace technologies critical to U.S. air and space dominance. His portfolio centers on research and development contracts for next-generation propulsion systems, hypersonic flight technologies, and high-performance functional materials. Parks plays a pivotal role in translating scientific innovation into operational capability by overseeing the full lifecycle of complex R&D procurements, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while accelerating the transition of cutting-edge solutions from lab to field. He maintains long-standing relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors including UES INC, General Electric Company, DCS Corporation, Spirit Aerosystems Inc, and Advanced Thermoplastic Composites LLC. These partnerships are characterized by sustained collaboration on technically demanding projects requiring deep domain expertise in propulsion systems, adaptive flight control, and advanced materials engineering. Parks consistently engages these prime contractors to deliver integrated solutions that meet rigorous military performance standards, often coordinating multi-year, mission-critical development efforts under cost-reimbursement and time-and-materials contract types. Parks’ procurement activity reflects a strict focus on open competition, with 100% of his awards issued under no set-aside conditions. This underscores a mission-driven preference for selecting the most technically capable offerors regardless of business size, prioritizing performance, innovation, and readiness over socioeconomic classifications. While small business participation is not formally mandated in his portfolio, vendors of all sizes compete on technical merit and past performance. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—where he procures advanced engineering services, computational modeling, materials testing, and prototype development. His technical domain expertise spans propulsion system design, hypersonics, thermoplastic composites, and high-temperature material systems essential to next-generation aerospace platforms.