Jess W. Leist

Jess W. Leist serves as a Contract Specialist within the U.S. Coast Guard’s LOG-9 office (70Z084), part of the Department of Homeland Security, where they manage the acquisition of critical life-cycle support services essential to shore-based and maritime operational readiness. Their portfolio encompasses a broad range of procurement activities, including facility maintenance, environmental services, security systems, waste management, and specialized metal container manufacturing. Leist ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with the Coast Guard’s mission to sustain secure, functional, and habitable infrastructure across the nation’s coastal and inland waterways. They play a pivotal role in executing full and open competitions and managing contract performance to meet stringent operational and safety standards. Leist maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including GILMAN CORPORATION THE, FRONTLINE ENTERPRISES LLC, S3 SOLUTIONS ONE LLC, FAZTEC INDUSTRIES INC, and VMX INTERNATIONAL LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established vendors with proven capabilities in technical services, environmental remediation, and industrial manufacturing. Their contracting approach emphasizes reliability, regulatory compliance, and performance-based outcomes, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in clear deliverables and accountability mechanisms. While the majority of Leist’s acquisitions—83.3%—are conducted as full and open competitions without set-asides, they maintain a notable commitment to small business participation, with 16.7% of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate effort to broaden vendor diversity and promote economic opportunity within the defense and maritime support sectors, without compromising mission-critical requirements. Leist’s procurement focus centers on five key NAICS categories: 332439 (Other Metal Container Manufacturing), 335129 (Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing), 561621 (Security Systems Services), 562119 (Other Waste Collection), and 562910 (Remediation Services). This technical specialization underscores deep expertise in procuring industrial-grade infrastructure, environmental compliance solutions, and integrated security systems critical to Coast Guard operations.