Joyce Overton

Joyce Overton serves as a Contracting Officer at the U.S. Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center (70Z032), where she leads the acquisition of mission-critical technologies to advance maritime domain awareness, autonomous systems, and operational resilience. She manages the full lifecycle of complex R&D contracts, from requirements definition and market research to source selection and contract administration, ensuring alignment with the Coast Guard’s strategic priorities in search and rescue, environmental response, and navigation safety. Her portfolio primarily supports the development and integration of next-generation sensing, detection, and data analytics platforms essential to national maritime security. Overton cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse array of technology providers, including defense contractors, academic research institutions, and engineering firms specializing in physical and engineering sciences. She engages with vendors capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward innovations under cost-reimbursement and fixed-price arrangements, often leveraging Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and prototype agreements to accelerate capability development. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical merit, agility, and performance-based outcomes over traditional fixed-scope contracting. Overton’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions issued without set-asides. While she does not currently prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, she actively encourages small business participation through teaming arrangements and subcontracting opportunities within larger R&D initiatives, ensuring broad industry engagement without compromising technical rigor. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, encompassing research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, particularly in sensor systems, data fusion, and maritime robotics. She also procures navigational services under NAICS 488330, supporting precision positioning and vessel tracking infrastructure. Overton’s expertise centers on acquiring advanced, non-commercial technologies requiring specialized engineering capabilities and rigorous validation protocols to meet Coast Guard operational standards.