Heather Dawn O'Connor

Heather Dawn O’Connor serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Coast Guard’s Aviation Logistics Center, where she supports the sustainment and modernization of the Coast Guard’s rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft fleet. Her role centers on managing complex acquisitions for mission-critical aviation components, including avionics, maintenance parts, and auxiliary equipment essential to operational readiness. She oversees the full lifecycle of contract actions—from requirements definition to award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while prioritizing reliability and supply chain resilience for legacy platforms such as the MH-65E Dauphin and HC-144 Ocean Sentry. O’Connor maintains consistent relationships with leading aerospace and defense contractors, including ROCKWELL COLLINS, INC., AIRBUS US SPACE & DEFENSE INC, and AVIATRIX INC, partnering with firms that provide certified aviation parts, maintenance support services, and integrated logistics solutions. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for established industry vendors with proven technical expertise in military-grade avionics and aircraft sustainment, often leveraging long-term agreements to ensure uninterrupted supply chain continuity for high-priority assets. Her procurement strategy demonstrates minimal reliance on socioeconomic set-asides, with 99.7% of awards issued under unrestricted competition, reflecting a mission-driven focus on technical capability and operational urgency over socioeconomic preferences. While small business participation is formally recognized, it constitutes only 0.3% of her portfolio, indicating a prioritization of mission-critical performance over mandatory set-aside utilization. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS 336413—Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing—where she acquires specialized components for aircraft maintenance and overhaul. She also engages in support activities for air transportation under NAICS 488190, securing services such as depot-level repairs and technical logistics. Her domain expertise is deeply rooted in aviation systems sustainment, with a technical emphasis on avionics integration, component remanufacturing, and supply chain management for aging Coast Guard aircraft platforms.