Julia Lackey

Julia Lackey serves as the primary procurement lead for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she manages mission-critical acquisitions to support national biosecurity and agricultural defense initiatives. Her responsibilities include planning, soliciting, and awarding contracts for specialized equipment, technical services, and infrastructure enhancements critical to detecting and containing invasive pests and animal diseases. She works closely with scientific and operational teams to align procurement strategy with APHIS’s mandate to protect U.S. agricultural resources through advanced diagnostics, surveillance systems, and field-ready containment solutions. Julia maintains consistent relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC; Thorobred Aviation Maintenance, Inc.; Trace First Limited; and AR6 Construction & Engineering, LLC. These partnerships reflect a focus on niche providers capable of delivering aviation support, precision engineering, laboratory instrumentation, and site-specific construction services tailored to APHIS’s mobile and field-based operations. Her contracting patterns indicate a preference for vendors with proven expertise in high-reliability, mission-essential systems and a demonstrated ability to operate under strict biosecurity protocols. A strong commitment to small business participation defines Julia’s contracting approach, with 84.6% of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to cultivate capacity among small, innovative firms capable of meeting APHIS’s technical demands while advancing socioeconomic goals in federal procurement. Her portfolio consistently prioritizes small business engagement over open competition, reinforcing APHIS’s broader mission to build resilient, community-based supply chains. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336991 (Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Parts Manufacturing), indicating significant investment in specialized ground transport for field diagnostics and mobile labs. She also regularly procures services under 238990 (Specialty Trade Contractors) and 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), underscoring expertise in acquiring ruggedized equipment, field-deployable analytical systems, and infrastructure support critical to APHIS’s on-the-ground biosecurity operations.