Karen A McElheney

Karen A. McElheney serves as a Contract Specialist within the U.S. Coast Guard’s LOG-9 office (70Z084), where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical acquisitions that sustain shore-based and maritime operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement activities for technical systems and environmental support services, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and mission-aligned outcomes. Her portfolio primarily focuses on the acquisition of advanced nautical and aeronautical instrumentation, as well as solid waste management solutions essential to maintaining compliant and habitable Coast Guard facilities nationwide. McElheney maintains consistent, long-term relationships with key contractors including GILMAN CORPORATION THE, FRONTLINE ENTERPRISES LLC, S3 SOLUTIONS ONE LLC, FAZTEC INDUSTRIES INC, and VMX INTERNATIONAL LLC. These partnerships are characterized by collaborative contract administration, performance-based deliverables, and a shared emphasis on technical precision and regulatory adherence. She actively engages vendors in pre-solicitation outreach and post-award performance reviews to ensure alignment with Coast Guard operational standards and lifecycle support requirements. A steadfast advocate for small business participation, McElheney applies a 100% Total Small Business Set-Aside strategy across her acquisition portfolio, fully leveraging FAR 19.5 to maximize opportunities for small disadvantaged, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned firms. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate and consistent commitment to socioeconomic goals, ensuring that small businesses are not only included but positioned to deliver high-value technical and environmental services critical to Coast Guard missions. Her primary NAICS focus areas—334511 for search, detection, and navigation systems and 562111 for solid waste collection—demonstrate deep expertise in procuring specialized maritime instrumentation and environmentally compliant waste services. She brings technical fluency in sensor integration, maritime communication systems, and federal environmental compliance frameworks, ensuring acquisitions meet both operational and regulatory benchmarks.