Katherine P. Zapata

Katherine P. Zapata serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, ensuring compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and promoting mission-critical outcomes through strategic sourcing. Her role centers on planning, soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts that deliver essential environmental remediation services to support federal infrastructure and compliance objectives. She plays a pivotal role in advancing the agency’s procurement mission by aligning acquisition strategies with regulatory mandates, risk mitigation protocols, and performance-based contracting principles. Her portfolio primarily consists of complex, performance-driven service contracts requiring technical oversight and rigorous contractor accountability. Katherine cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse pool of qualified vendors, particularly those with specialized expertise in environmental remediation. While no single contractor dominates her award history, she consistently engages with firms possessing proven capabilities in hazardous waste management, soil and groundwater remediation, and regulatory compliance services. Her procurement approach emphasizes transparency, competitive fairness, and long-term vendor performance, fostering partnerships built on technical excellence and contractual integrity. A staunch advocate for small business participation, Katherine applies a 100% total small business set-aside preference across all her acquisitions, in full alignment with FAR 19.5. This unwavering commitment ensures equitable access to federal contracting opportunities for small businesses, including those owned by women, veterans, and economically disadvantaged individuals. Her socioeconomic contracting patterns reflect a deliberate strategy to strengthen the small business ecosystem while maintaining high standards of service delivery and mission readiness. Her technical expertise is concentrated in NAICS 562910 (Remediation Services), where she procures specialized environmental cleanup, containment, and restoration services for contaminated sites. Katherine’s domain knowledge encompasses soil vapor extraction, bioremediation, landfill capping, and regulatory reporting frameworks under CERCLA and RCRA. She consistently awards contracts to firms demonstrating technical proficiency, site-specific experience, and adherence to federal environmental standards, ensuring that remediation efforts are both effective and compliant.