Karen Y. Knowles

Karen Y. Knowles serves as a Contracting Officer for FA3016 502 Cons Cl under the Department of the Air Force, where she manages mission-critical procurement activities to sustain Air Force installations and ensure operational readiness. Her portfolio focuses on specialized maintenance, medical, and facility services, including modernization of communications infrastructure, airfield systems, and technical equipment. She executes complex acquisitions under FAR Part 15, leveraging competitive sealed bidding and negotiated contracting methods to secure high-integrity solutions that support aerospace and defense operations. Her work directly enables the agency’s strategic priorities in infrastructure resilience and technological advancement. Knowles maintains strong, recurring relationships with a core group of contractors including WILLIAM T BROOKS & ASSOCIATES INC, CITADEL FEDERAL SOLUTIONS LLC, NEXLEGACY LLC, PERRY MANAGEMENT CORP OF SOUTH DAKOTA, L.L.C, and AJ COMMERCIAL SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established vendors with proven expertise in facility operations, medical support, and communications systems maintenance. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a pattern of repeat engagement with firms that consistently deliver high-quality, compliant services, fostering long-term vendor reliability and performance accountability. A hallmark of Knowles’ procurement approach is her robust commitment to small business participation, with 71.4% of her awards designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. She actively prioritizes socioeconomic programs that expand opportunities for small disadvantaged, veteran-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, aligning with Department of Defense mandates to increase small business contracting. Her consistent use of set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to cultivate a diverse, capable small business industrial base. Her primary NAICS focus areas include 511210 (Software Publishers), 333611 (Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units Manufacturing), and 334220 (Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing), indicating deep technical expertise in communications systems, power generation, and specialized equipment procurement. She regularly acquires integrated facility services, audiovisual systems, and industrial maintenance solutions critical to sustaining Air Force operational environments.