Kari Alvarado

Kari Alvarado serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing the full lifecycle of acquisitions within the air transportation support sector. She oversees the solicitation, evaluation, award, and administration of contracts for critical non-aircraft services that enable safe and efficient air operations, including ground handling, air traffic support, logistics coordination, and facility maintenance. Her role is central to ensuring mission-critical air transportation infrastructure is sustained through compliant, transparent, and efficient procurement practices aligned with federal acquisition regulations. Alvarado cultivates relationships with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in aviation support services, including both large primes and small businesses capable of delivering specialized technical solutions. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven capabilities in airfield operations, maintenance support, and aviation logistics. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting, clear statement of work development, and rigorous source selection criteria to ensure mission readiness and operational continuity. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for unrestricted, open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under the “No Set-Aside” category. This indicates a focus on selecting the most qualified offerors regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing capability, past performance, and cost-effectiveness over set-aside programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB. While she does not actively target small business set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with all applicable socioeconomic requirements. Alvarado’s expertise is concentrated in NAICS 488190—Other Support Activities for Air Transportation—where she procures services ranging from air cargo handling and ramp services to airfield lighting maintenance and aviation security support. Her technical domain knowledge encompasses the operational demands of civil and military aviation support systems, ensuring contracts are structured to meet stringent safety, regulatory, and performance standards unique to the aviation industry.