Jay Tobin

Jay Tobin serves as a Contracting Officer for the National Forests in Mississippi, operating under the U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions critical to sustaining the ecological and infrastructural integrity of Mississippi’s national forest lands. His portfolio encompasses construction, maintenance, and operational support contracts aligned with the agency’s mission of sustainable forest management, wildfire mitigation, and public safety. Tobin routinely handles complex acquisitions for road and trail infrastructure, forestry support services, and utility system upgrades, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and environmental stewardship standards. While specific contractor names are not disclosed in available data, Tobin maintains a robust network of vendor partnerships centered on small businesses and specialized contractors with expertise in forestry operations and rural infrastructure. His procurement approach emphasizes collaboration with firms possessing technical proficiency in forest service environments, fostering long-term relationships with contractors capable of delivering resilient, low-impact solutions in ecologically sensitive areas. He prioritizes performance-based contracting and works closely with project engineers to align vendor capabilities with mission-critical outcomes. Tobin demonstrates a pronounced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with over 90% of his acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. He consistently prioritizes small business participation, including Women-Owned Small Businesses and other disadvantaged vendors, reflecting a strong alignment with federal goals for equitable economic opportunity. His contracting patterns reveal a deliberate strategy to empower local and regional small firms with the capacity to execute forestry and infrastructure work in underserved rural communities. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), which constitutes nearly 40% of his portfolio, followed by highway and bridge construction (237310) and water/sewer infrastructure (237110). He regularly procures services such as vegetation management, erosion control, trail maintenance, and utility system installation, demonstrating deep technical expertise in environmental compliance and rural construction standards. Tobin’s work ensures that federal investments in forest infrastructure are both operationally effective and environmentally responsible.