Ellen W Lester

Ellen W. Lester serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of professional services acquisitions, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and aligning contracts with agency mission objectives. She specializes in soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for technical and professional services, with a focus on ensuring transparency, competition, and regulatory adherence. Her role is central to the agency’s acquisition strategy, facilitating timely delivery of critical services through well-structured solicitations and rigorous source selection processes. She routinely handles complex, performance-based contracts requiring detailed technical evaluations and risk mitigation strategies. Ellen collaborates with a broad spectrum of vendors, primarily in the professional services sector, fostering relationships with firms capable of delivering high-caliber technical solutions. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing demonstrated expertise in systems design and specialized technical consulting. Her approach emphasizes fair and open competition, encouraging both large-capability firms and small business subcontractors to participate in solicitation responses. She maintains a neutral, process-driven relationship with vendors, prioritizing compliance and equitable treatment under FAR guidelines. Ellen’s contracting activity reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued without set-aside designations. This indicates a strategic focus on maximizing competition and leveraging market capabilities rather than reserving opportunities for specific socioeconomic categories. While she does not currently prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her procurement practices remain aligned with small business participation goals through unrestricted subcontracting opportunities and robust small business outreach during solicitation development. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541512 (Computer Systems Design Services) and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), reflecting deep expertise in IT systems integration, software development, and specialized technical consulting. She routinely procures services related to system architecture, cybersecurity support, data analytics, and operational technology consulting, demonstrating a clear technical understanding of digital modernization and mission-critical service delivery domains.