Karen E. Drake

Karen E. Drake serves as a Contracting Officer within the Public Buildings Service’s R4 (AMD) Acquisition Management Division, where she manages the full lifecycle procurement of mission-critical federal infrastructure projects. Her portfolio centers on the design, construction, renovation, and maintenance of courthouses, federal office complexes, and other high-security government facilities. She executes acquisitions under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), ensuring compliance with sustainability, security, and efficiency standards aligned with GSA’s mission to deliver resilient public buildings. Her work spans complex, multi-disciplinary contracts requiring coordination among architects, engineers, and construction contractors to meet stringent federal building codes and environmental mandates. Drake maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors, most notably MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC, with whom she has developed a trusted partnership on large-scale commercial and institutional construction projects. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, performance-based contracting, and rigorous oversight to ensure quality control and timely delivery. She routinely engages with contractors possessing specialized expertise in building systems integration, site development, and facility modernization, fostering a collaborative environment grounded in accountability and regulatory compliance. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong commitment to socioeconomic goals, with nearly half of her awards structured as Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides. She also actively utilizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, balancing broad small business participation with mission-critical needs. This deliberate focus on veteran-owned and small business vendors demonstrates a sustained effort to expand economic opportunity while maintaining high performance standards across her contract portfolio. Drake’s technical expertise is concentrated in NAICS 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), with significant activity in plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning systems (238220) and masonry and building equipment contracting. She procures integrated construction services for complex facilities, requiring deep domain knowledge in building envelope systems, mechanical infrastructure, and sustainable design practices. Her work ensures federal buildings meet modern operational, energy, and accessibility requirements.