H. Elease Sanders

H. Elease Sanders serves as a Contract Specialist within the 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants Management unit of the Federal Highway Administration, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurements that support the nation’s transportation infrastructure modernization. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for engineering services, transportation research, and operational consulting, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and the agency’s mission to advance data-informed, resilient highway systems. Her work directly enables technical innovation in infrastructure design, safety analysis, and system performance evaluation through expert-led service contracts. Sanders maintains established working relationships with key contractors including K & M Transportation Services LLC and the University of California, Los Angeles, reflecting a blend of private-sector engineering expertise and academic research collaboration. Her procurement patterns emphasize long-term, performance-based partnerships with vendors capable of delivering specialized technical solutions, often involving multi-year task orders under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles. She prioritizes vendors with proven capabilities in transportation systems analysis and federal compliance. Her contracting approach reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 96.7% of awards issued without set-aside designation, indicating a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is limited to 3.3%, it is consistently aligned with Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating adherence to statutory requirements without compromising mission-critical expertise. Sanders’ primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541611 (administrative and management consulting), 611430 (professional training), and 561990 (other support services), reflecting a demand for strategic planning, workforce development, and operational support services critical to highway system efficiency. Her domain expertise centers on procurement of technical consulting, training programs, and integrated support services that enhance the Federal Highway Administration’s capacity to deliver safe, data-driven transportation solutions.