Karen A McElheney

Karen A. McElheney serves as a Contracting Officer within the U.S. Coast Guard’s LOG-9 office (70Z084), responsible for managing the acquisition of critical life-cycle support services that sustain shore-based and maritime operational readiness. She oversees the procurement of environmental, logistical, and facility support contracts essential to maintaining habitable, secure, and mission-ready infrastructure across the Coast Guard’s national footprint. Her portfolio includes complex service-based acquisitions governed by FAR Part 37, with a focus on performance-based contracting and outcome-driven deliverables that align with the agency’s strategic priorities in environmental compliance, waste management, and maritime operational support. McElheney maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of contractors including GILMAN CORPORATION THE, FRONTLINE ENTERPRISES LLC, S3 SOLUTIONS ONE LLC, FAZTEC INDUSTRIES INC, and VMX INTERNATIONAL LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in environmental remediation, waste handling, and specialized maritime support services. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, technical compliance, and performance accountability, fostering reliable service delivery across geographically dispersed and operationally sensitive locations. Her procurement strategy demonstrates strong commitment to socioeconomic goals, with equal emphasis on Total Small Business Set-Asides and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides, each accounting for 20% of her awards. While 60% of her acquisitions remain open to all competitors, she actively prioritizes small business participation through targeted set-asides and mentor-protégé engagement, ensuring equitable access to federal contracting opportunities. McElheney’s primary NAICS focus spans waste collection (562119), remediation services (562910), solid waste combustion (562213), navigational services to shipping (488330), and personal services (812990). Her expertise lies in procuring specialized environmental, logistical, and operational support services critical to Coast Guard mission continuity, particularly in hazardous material handling, marine waste management, and facility sustainment.