Howard Heflin

Howard Heflin serves as a key procurement lead within the Great Plains Regional Office of the Bureau of Reclamation, overseeing the acquisition of critical civil infrastructure and water resource management services. His responsibilities include managing competitive solicitations for construction, engineering, and specialized industrial supply contracts that support the agency’s mission to modernize water conveyance systems, hydropower facilities, and related public works. He routinely handles complex procurements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, ensuring compliance with technical specifications, environmental standards, and federal construction codes for large-scale water infrastructure projects. Heflin maintains a focused contractor relationship with McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, a primary vendor for heavy civil construction and site development services. His procurement pattern reflects a preference for established contractors with demonstrated experience in arid-region infrastructure, though he also engages smaller firms for niche engineering and material supply tasks. The working relationship is characterized by consistent recompetition, performance-based evaluations, and a reliance on proven technical capabilities rather than sole-source arrangements. His contracting portfolio reflects a strong commitment to small business participation, with over 41% of awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While no other socioeconomic set-asides dominate, his consistent use of small business set-asides signals a deliberate strategy to foster regional economic development and expand opportunities for qualified small firms in the water infrastructure sector. Heflin’s procurement focus centers on NAICS codes 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction), 541330 (Engineering Services), and 324191 (Petroleum Lubricating Oil and Grease Manufacturing), reflecting a blend of construction, technical engineering, and industrial supply needs. He frequently procures specialized valves, construction aggregates, and lubrication systems critical to the operation and maintenance of dams, canals, and pumping stations, demonstrating deep domain expertise in water resource infrastructure lifecycle management.