Kate Petek

Katherine E. Petek serves as a key procurement professional within the Virginia Contracting Activity, operating under the Defense Intelligence Agency to support mission-critical intelligence operations. She manages complex acquisitions for advanced technical services essential to national intelligence functions, including research and development in physical and engineering sciences, custom software development, and systems design for classified environments. Her work ensures the timely delivery of capabilities that enable real-time data exploitation, sensor integration, and operational support for high-priority defense and intelligence missions. Petek’s portfolio centers on engineering and technical services requiring stringent security protocols and specialized domain expertise. Her contractor relationships involve a diverse mix of prime contractors and subcontractors specializing in defense-grade systems engineering, secure software development, and intelligence analytics platforms. While no single vendor dominates her award profile, she consistently engages with firms possessing TS/SCI clearances and expertise in classified systems integration. Petek fosters collaborative partnerships with vendors capable of rapid prototyping, agile development, and compliance with DoD cybersecurity standards such as NIST SP 800-53 and RMF. Petek demonstrates a balanced approach to socioeconomic contracting, with the majority of her acquisitions conducted under open competition, while actively supporting small business participation. Approximately one-quarter of her awards are structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, with a notable emphasis on Women-Owned Small Businesses, reflecting a deliberate effort to broaden vendor diversity within the intelligence supply chain. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, reflecting deep specialization in R&D for physical and engineering sciences, alongside related categories in electronic computer manufacturing and specialized equipment supply. She routinely procures advanced hardware, embedded systems, data exploitation tools, and secure computing platforms tailored for intelligence analysts and operational units operating in high-threat environments.