Heather R. Hirshman

Heather R. Hirshman serves as a key procurement lead within the C5I Division 3 Portsmouth, supporting the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission to modernize command, control, communications, computers, cyber, and intelligence (C5I) systems for maritime domain awareness and national security operations. She manages complex acquisitions for advanced surveillance, navigation, and secure communications technologies, ensuring operational resilience across maritime, cyber, and terrestrial domains. Her work directly enables the integration of next-generation sensor networks, data fusion platforms, and resilient network infrastructure critical to Coast Guard missions. Hirshman specializes in professional and technical services contracts, often overseeing requirements development, source selection, and contract administration for high-impact C5I modernization initiatives. Her primary contractor relationships center on Trimble Inc., a leader in precision positioning and geospatial technologies, indicating a strong reliance on advanced hardware and software solutions for maritime navigation and situational awareness. She consistently engages with vendors offering integrated systems for signal processing, cyber-secure communications, and electronic component supply chains. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for established industry partners with proven capabilities in defense-grade C5I systems, suggesting a focus on reliability, interoperability, and long-term sustainment. Hirshman’s portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technical capability and mission-critical performance over socioeconomic preferences, prioritizing the most qualified vendors regardless of business size or certification status. Her procurement focus is evenly distributed across NAICS 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), and 423690 (Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers). This triad underscores her expertise in acquiring specialized C5I engineering services, custom software and systems integration, and mission-critical electronic components, aligning with the Division’s need for end-to-end solutions in maritime surveillance and secure communications infrastructure.