Karen Catella

Karen Catella serves as a Contract Officer within the GSA/FAS Center for IT Schedule Program, where she plays a pivotal role in executing the federal government’s streamlined acquisition of mission-critical information technology services. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of IT Schedule contracts, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations, and facilitating efficient access to pre-vetted solutions for agency customers. She specializes in procuring telecommunications, cloud-enabled infrastructure, and managed IT services that support digital transformation across federal entities. Her work directly enables agencies to rapidly deploy scalable, secure, and interoperable technology solutions without the delays of traditional contracting. Catella works with a broad ecosystem of vendors holding IT Schedule contracts, including national systems integrators, managed service providers, and specialized IT infrastructure firms. Her contracting patterns reflect a focus on established Schedule holders with proven capabilities in network modernization, data center services, and cybersecurity-enabled platforms. She maintains consistent, transparent engagement with contractors through proactive solicitation management, performance monitoring, and contract administration, ensuring alignment with GSA’s mission of delivering reliable, cost-effective IT solutions to federal customers. Catella’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open, non-set-aside acquisitions, with 100% of her awarded contracts conducted under standard competitive procedures. While she does not currently prioritize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her approach emphasizes broad competition and value-driven outcomes, ensuring the widest possible access to high-performing vendors that meet rigorous technical and compliance standards. Her primary focus is on NAICS code 517919, which encompasses Other Telecommunications Services, including managed network services, cloud connectivity, and integrated communications infrastructure. She routinely procures services such as SD-WAN deployment, unified communications platforms, colocation services, and managed security operations—domain areas requiring deep technical expertise in federal network architecture and compliance with NIST and FISMA standards.