Gary Topper

Gary Patrick Topper serves as a Contracting Officer within the Preparedness SECTION (PRE20) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he manages complex acquisitions critical to national resilience and operational readiness. His portfolio focuses on procuring administrative, technical, and logistical support services that enhance incident management frameworks and workforce capabilities. Topper handles a broad range of contract types, including performance-based service contracts, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles, and task order solicitations under FAR Part 12 and Part 37, ensuring alignment with DHS and FEMA mission priorities in disaster response and preparedness infrastructure. Topper cultivates strategic partnerships with a diverse pool of vendors, primarily in facilities support, analytical instrumentation, and educational services sectors. While no single contractor dominates his award profile, he consistently engages both large systems integrators and specialized small businesses to deliver mission-critical capabilities. His contracting approach emphasizes competitive solicitation, clear performance metrics, and vendor accountability, fostering long-term relationships built on compliance, transparency, and mission alignment. Topper demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with over 30% of his acquisitions designated for small business participation. His set-aside preferences reflect a balanced strategy: while the majority of procurements are open competition (65.4%), he actively leverages Total Small Business Set-Asides (18.7%), 8(a) competed contracts (9.3%), and HUBZone (3.7%) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (1.9%) set-asides to promote equitable access and workforce development across the federal contracting landscape. His primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 561210 (Facilities Support Services), 334519 and 334516 (specialized measuring, controlling, and analytical device manufacturing), and 611710 (Educational Support Services). These reflect a technical emphasis on emergency response equipment, training infrastructure, and operational support systems. Topper’s expertise lies in acquiring mission-enabling technologies and services that directly bolster FEMA’s capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex disasters.