Karen Hodge

Karen Hodge serves as a Contract Specialist at the Federal Correctional Institution at Marianna (15B308), operating under the Bureau of Prisons within the Department of Justice. In this role, she manages the acquisition of mission-critical food systems and facility support services essential to the safe, secure, and humane operation of the correctional facility. Her portfolio focuses on ensuring dietary compliance, cultural and religious food accommodations, and operational readiness through the procurement of perishable prepared foods, specialty meat products, and related wholesale distribution services. She applies full lifecycle contracting expertise under FAR Part 12 and Part 13, balancing regulatory compliance with the unique nutritional and logistical demands of a federal correctional environment. Hodge maintains longstanding relationships with key vendors including Lewis-Smith Corporation and Gasparini John W Inc., both of which provide specialized food manufacturing and distribution services tailored to institutional feeding programs. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, consistency, and adherence to strict food safety and sanitation standards, fostering collaborative partnerships with suppliers capable of meeting the Bureau’s rigorous operational requirements. These vendor relationships are characterized by repeat engagements and performance-based contract management, ensuring continuity of service across fiscal cycles. A strong advocate for small business participation, Hodge consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with over 72% of her awards designated for small businesses. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic inclusion, regularly utilizing set-asides to support small manufacturers and wholesalers that meet the unique needs of federal correctional institutions. This focus ensures broad vendor diversity while promoting economic opportunity within the food supply chain. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 311999 (All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing) and 311991 (Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing), with significant activity in meat and dairy wholesale distribution (424470, 424430). Hodge’s technical expertise centers on institutional food systems, including religiously compliant meals, shelf-stable and refrigerated provisions, and just-in-time delivery logistics for high-volume feeding operations.