Ellistene D Curry

Ellistene D. Curry serves as a Contract Specialist within the Telecommunications Division (HC1013) of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical acquisitions to secure and modernize the Department of Defense’s global communications infrastructure. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for network modernization, secure virtual private networks, and interoperable telecom systems, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and defense-specific cybersecurity standards. Her portfolio emphasizes complex, technology-driven procurements that support resilient, high-capacity connectivity for military and federal operations, with a focus on agile, performance-based contracting methods. Curry maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Liberty Communications, Inc., AOC Connect LLC, and Norfolk Fiber, LLC. These partnerships reflect a blend of large prime contractors with specialized telecom and network integration capabilities and mid-tier firms delivering fiber-optic deployment, secure data transmission, and legacy system modernization. Her procurement approach prioritizes technical proficiency, system interoperability, and lifecycle support, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in performance metrics and compliance with DoD telecommunications standards. While the majority of her acquisitions are conducted under full and open competition (60%), Curry actively supports small business participation through Total Small Business Set-Asides (40%), consistently leveraging FAR 19.5 to expand opportunities for qualified small businesses in the defense telecom ecosystem. Her socioeconomic contracting patterns reflect a balanced commitment to broad-based small business engagement without reliance on specialized set-asides such as 8(a) or HUBZone, emphasizing capability over certification. Her primary NAICS focus lies in Other Computer Related Services (541519), encompassing network design, cybersecurity integration, and managed services, with secondary emphasis on Computer Terminal Manufacturing (334118) and Flight Training (611512). This reflects her technical expertise in procuring hardware, software-defined networking solutions, and mission-critical communication systems that enable secure, real-time data exchange across distributed defense platforms.