Janice Begay

Janice Begay serves as a key procurement lead at Haskell Indian Nations University, operating under the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of the Interior. In this role, she manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions aligned with the university’s mission to advance educational and cultural opportunities for Native American students. Her responsibilities include planning, soliciting, and awarding contracts for services critical to campus operations, student support, and institutional infrastructure. She routinely handles procurements in facilities maintenance, recreation instruction, and institutional services, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and tribal sovereignty priorities. Her work directly supports the university’s strategic goals by enabling access to culturally responsive resources and enhancing campus capacity. Begay maintains collaborative relationships with a network of small business contractors, particularly those certified under Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) programs, reflecting her agency’s deep commitment to tribal economic development. While specific vendor names are not publicly disclosed, her contracting patterns consistently engage Native-owned enterprises, tribal corporations, and small businesses with demonstrated experience in educational and institutional support services. Her approach emphasizes long-term partnerships grounded in trust, cultural competency, and compliance with federal socioeconomic requirements. Her procurement strategy is heavily weighted toward set-aside programs, with over 60% of awards designated for ISBEE-eligible entities, complemented by significant allocations to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate, mission-driven commitment to advancing economic self-determination among Native communities through targeted contracting. She avoids non-set-aside awards unless justified under exceptional circumstances, reinforcing the agency’s statutory obligations and tribal partnership values. Begay’s primary NAICS focus areas include 611620 (Sports and Recreation Instruction), 561720 (Janitorial Services), and 611310 (Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools), indicating expertise in acquiring student life services, campus maintenance, and academic support solutions. She also engages with specialized equipment suppliers under 333316 and 333241, suggesting involvement in procurement for athletic facilities and institutional food service infrastructure. Her technical domain centers on delivering holistic, culturally grounded services that enhance student success and institutional resilience.