Jennifer L. Gherardini

Jennifer L. Gherardini serves as Team Lead and Contract Specialist within the Telecommunications Division (HC1013) of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she leads the acquisition and management of mission-critical telecommunications and information technology services. Her role is central to securing and modernizing the Department of Defense’s global communications infrastructure, ensuring resilient, high-capacity network connectivity for military and federal operations. She specializes in complex procurements for network modernization, secure virtual private networks, and interoperable telecom systems, often coordinating multi-disciplinary teams to deliver solutions aligned with DISA’s strategic imperatives for cybersecurity and infrastructure resilience. Gherardini maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Liberty Communications, Inc., AOC Connect LLC, and Norfolk Fiber, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established vendors with proven expertise in fiber-optic deployment, satellite communications, and enterprise-level IT services. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, rigorous technical evaluation, and long-term service delivery agreements that ensure operational continuity across classified and unclassified environments. Her contracting portfolio demonstrates a strong preference for open competition, with 83.3% of awards issued without set-asides, while maintaining a deliberate 16.7% commitment to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This balance reflects a strategic focus on leveraging market-wide capabilities while actively supporting small business participation in high-technical domains, without prioritizing specific socioeconomic categories like 8(a) or HUBZone. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), accounting for half of her portfolio, followed by NAICS 511210 (Software Publishers) and 517410 (Satellite Telecommunications). She routinely acquires custom software development, network engineering services, and satellite-based communications systems, demonstrating deep expertise in secure, scalable telecom architectures supporting DoD’s evolving digital battlefield requirements.