Felicia Aspaas

Felicia Aspaas serves as the primary procurement lead for the Indian Education Acquisition Office within the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education, overseeing contracts that advance educational equity and holistic student development in tribal communities. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions centered on culturally responsive educational support, behavioral health services, and infrastructure improvements for Native American schools. Her role is critical to implementing the agency’s mission of expanding access to special education, mental health resources, and safe learning environments through strategic sourcing and compliance with federal procurement regulations. Aspaas maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of contractors, including RJS Construction Inc. for facility upgrades, Laura Edwards for specialized educational consulting, Lane Travel Inc. for student transportation logistics, Maguire Iron, Inc. for structural and safety-related infrastructure, and Tami Jollie-Trottier PhD PLLC for mental health and behavioral intervention services. These partnerships reflect a pattern of engaging niche, mission-aligned vendors with demonstrated expertise in tribal education contexts, fostering long-term collaboration over transactional engagements. Her procurement strategy prioritizes socioeconomic inclusion, with nearly 75% of acquisitions set aside for small business participation, primarily under the Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) program, followed by the Total Small Business Set-Aside. She actively leverages Department of the Interior-specific set-asides to ensure tribal-owned and Native-led enterprises receive equitable access to contracting opportunities, reinforcing self-determination and economic resilience within Indigenous communities. Aspaas’s technical focus lies in NAICS 611710 (Educational Support Services), 621340 (Therapy and Rehabilitation Services), and 621330 (Mental Health Practitioner Services), reflecting deep specialization in academic support, speech and occupational therapy, and behavioral health interventions. She routinely procures specialized educational tools, therapeutic equipment, and culturally adapted counseling frameworks tailored to the unique needs of Native students, demonstrating advanced domain expertise in tribal education policy and service delivery.