Beth Howard

Elizabeth Howard serves as a Contracting Officer for the W6QK Acc Anad under the Department of the Army, responsible for managing complex acquisitions that sustain and modernize critical military industrial infrastructure. Her portfolio focuses on procuring advanced manufacturing equipment, precision measurement systems, and specialized maintenance services essential to maintaining the operational readiness of armored vehicle systems, machine tooling, and welding infrastructure. She executes full and open competitions as well as targeted set-asides, ensuring compliance with FAR and DFARS while aligning acquisitions with the Army’s strategic modernization goals. Her work directly supports the reliability and longevity of defense-critical mechanical and industrial assets across the force. Howard maintains consistent contracting relationships with a select group of specialized vendors, including EASTER SEALS ALABAMA, INC., EDGE TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTORS, INC., and APPLIED TEST SYSTEMS, LLC, among others. These partnerships reflect a preference for contractors with proven expertise in defense-grade manufacturing, materials handling, and industrial testing systems. Her approach emphasizes technical capability over volume, fostering long-term vendor relationships grounded in performance reliability and compliance with military specifications such as MIL-STD and ASME standards. While the majority of her acquisitions are conducted as no set-aside competitions (77.8%), Howard actively supports socioeconomic programs, with approximately 22.2% of her portfolio allocated to small business set-asides—equally split between 8(a) competed and total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This balanced approach ensures broad market participation while maintaining competitive rigor and mission-critical standards. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336992 (military armored vehicle manufacturing) and 325220 (synthetic fibers and filaments), with significant activity in 333517 (machine tool manufacturing) and 331420 (copper processing). These categories reflect deep technical expertise in procuring high-integrity materials, precision machinery, and components integral to armored vehicle production and industrial maintenance systems.