Karen Tagliavia

Karen Tagliavia serves as a key procurement professional within DLA Troop Support, supporting the Department of Defense’s mission to sustain operational readiness through the acquisition of specialized technical equipment and mission-critical infrastructure. She manages a portfolio of contracts focused on analytical laboratory instruments and associated support systems, ensuring military units have access to high-precision diagnostic and environmental monitoring technologies essential for field operations. Her work directly enables troop welfare and mission success by securing reliable, compliant, and deployable systems that meet stringent defense standards. Tagliavia maintains consistent partnerships with a core group of specialized contractors including WESTLAND TECHNOLOGIES, INC., ENGINEERED COIL COMPANY, ECI DEFENSE GROUP, INC., AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, and JOHNSON CONTROLS NAVY SYSTEMS, LLC. These vendors are selected for their expertise in designing and manufacturing ruggedized, mission-qualified instrumentation and climate control systems tailored for austere environments. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, technical validation, and performance-based requirements to ensure system reliability under operational stress. She demonstrates a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 100% of her acquisitions set aside exclusively for small businesses under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster innovation and capacity within the small business industrial base, ensuring diverse suppliers have equitable access to defense procurement opportunities without competition from large businesses. Her primary technical focus lies in NAICS 334516 — Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing — encompassing the procurement of portable and fixed environmental sensors, air quality monitors, medical diagnostic analyzers, and deployable lab systems. Her expertise centers on procuring precision instrumentation that supports biological, chemical, and environmental testing in expeditionary and garrison settings, ensuring compliance with DoD technical specifications and lifecycle sustainment requirements.