kacey Hickman

Kacey Hickman supports the NASA Shared Services Center in managing mission-critical procurement activities that enable advanced scientific operations and institutional infrastructure. Though their formal title is not listed, Hickman plays a key role in executing acquisition strategies for specialized technology and engineering services essential to NASA’s research and exploration missions. Their work centers on procuring high-precision instrumentation, custom software systems, and mission-enabling technical services that sustain the agency’s computational and analytical capabilities. Hickman operates within a complex regulatory framework governed by FAR and NASA-specific acquisition policies, ensuring compliance while delivering timely, high-quality solutions to support scientific teams across NASA’s distributed operations. Hickman maintains consistent contracting relationships with NEXTROW INC and PENN OAK SERVICES LLC, both of which provide specialized technical services and engineering support. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in niche technical domains, including system integration, instrumentation calibration, and custom software development. The working relationship patterns suggest a focus on long-term, performance-based contracts that emphasize reliability, technical precision, and responsiveness to evolving mission requirements, often involving complex statement of work development and rigorous evaluation criteria. Hickman’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong emphasis on small business participation, with over one-third of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While the majority of contracts remain open competition, the consistent use of 8(a) competed set-asides—nearly 3% of total awards—demonstrates a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals. This pattern indicates active engagement with disadvantaged business enterprises and a strategic alignment with federal mandates to broaden supplier diversity within high-technology sectors. The primary NAICS focus areas include Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Other Computer Related Services (541519), and specialized manufacturing categories such as Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519) and All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment (335999). These reflect a technical domain expertise in scientific instrumentation, data acquisition systems, embedded software, and communications hardware critical to space and Earth observation missions. Hickman’s acquisitions consistently support the integration of mission-critical hardware and software systems that underpin NASA’s scientific infrastructure.