Jessalyn M. Lord

Jessalyn Lord serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contracts and Acquisitions Management unit of the U.S. Department of Education, where she plays a pivotal role in executing strategic procurements that support federal education policy, research initiatives, and institutional capacity building. She manages the full lifecycle of professional services contracts, with a focus on custom software development, management consulting, and training services that enhance data systems, regulatory compliance, and student aid infrastructure. Her work directly enables evidence-based decision-making across postsecondary education institutions and ensures alignment with federal acquisition regulations and modernization goals. Lord maintains a consistent working relationship with LPE-STRATEGIES LLC, a key contractor providing specialized administrative and technical support services. Her procurement approach emphasizes collaborative vendor partnerships, engaging firms with demonstrated expertise in education technology and federal compliance frameworks. She routinely engages contractors through competitive sealed bidding and negotiated acquisitions, ensuring transparency, accountability, and performance-based outcomes aligned with agency objectives. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong commitment to socioeconomic diversity, with nearly equal portions of awards designated for Total Small Business Set-Asides and non-set-aside competitions. She actively utilizes HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides, demonstrating a deliberate effort to expand opportunities for underserved small businesses while maintaining rigorous performance standards. This balanced approach ensures broad vendor participation without compromising mission-critical requirements. Lord’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services) and 541611 (Management Consulting Services), reflecting her specialization in developing and integrating data systems, workflow automation tools, and policy implementation frameworks for federal education programs. She also procures professional development training and general government support services, underscoring her domain expertise in educational technology, compliance infrastructure, and institutional capacity enhancement within the federal education ecosystem.