Karen Middleton

Karen Middleton supports the U.S. Forest Service’s Csa East 6 division in executing mission-critical procurement activities aligned with forest ecosystem sustainability and infrastructure resilience. She manages a diverse portfolio of service contracts focused on land management support, including soil preparation, landscaping, janitorial services, and specialized maintenance operations essential to public safety and resource conservation. Her role ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while advancing the agency’s operational readiness through timely, efficient contracting. Middleton’s acquisitions are strategically aligned with the Forest Service’s mandate to maintain healthy forests and enable sustainable public access. She maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of regional contractors, including American Classic Construction Inc., Zimmer Plowing LLC, Lewis Mobile Welding LLC, Miller, Sheila D, and Moore & Shryock LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for locally rooted, specialized vendors capable of delivering tailored services such as vehicle repair, mobile welding, snow and debris removal, and site-specific land maintenance. Middleton fosters collaborative, performance-driven vendor relationships that prioritize responsiveness, safety compliance, and adaptability to dynamic field conditions across forested landscapes. Middleton demonstrates an unwavering commitment to small business participation, directing 100% of her acquisitions toward total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This consistent application underscores a strategic emphasis on economic development within rural and underserved communities, ensuring that contracting opportunities directly benefit locally owned enterprises with the capacity to deliver essential services in remote, high-demand environments. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 531390 (Other Activities Related to Real Estate) and NAICS 811121 (Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance), reflecting expertise in land stewardship support and mobile equipment maintenance. She routinely procures services involving site grading, erosion control, equipment servicing, and infrastructure upkeep—domains requiring technical knowledge of forested terrain, environmental compliance, and heavy-duty vehicle repair standards.