Kathleen A. Kern

Kathleen A. Kern serves as a key procurement lead within the Peace Corps Office of Administrative and Contract Management (OACM), overseeing acquisitions that sustain the agency’s global operational infrastructure and workforce readiness. She manages a portfolio of contracts focused on mission-critical services including medical support systems, background investigation protocols, and digital infrastructure solutions that enable safe and effective volunteer deployment. Her role is central to fulfilling the Peace Corps’ mandate to ensure institutional resilience through strategic sourcing of specialized professional services, with a strong emphasis on compliance, risk mitigation, and operational continuity. Kern maintains a consistent working relationship with Biometrics4All, Inc., a primary vendor providing biometric identification and security services critical to volunteer vetting and safety protocols. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term, performance-based partnerships with firms capable of delivering secure, scalable, and compliant technical solutions. She prioritizes vendors with proven expertise in sensitive government environments, fostering collaborative relationships that align with Peace Corps’ stringent data integrity and privacy standards. Kern’s procurement activities reflect a clear preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside classifications. This indicates a strategic focus on selecting the most qualified providers based on technical merit and operational capability rather than socioeconomic designations, though small business participation is not excluded when they meet the required competencies. Her primary NAICS focus areas—621111 (Offices of Physicians) and 541519 (Other Computer Related Services)—reveal a dual specialization in medical support services and IT infrastructure solutions. She procures clinical screening systems, telehealth platforms, cybersecurity services, and data management tools essential to maintaining volunteer health and secure digital communications abroad. Her expertise lies at the intersection of public health compliance and mission-critical IT systems, ensuring technical solutions meet both federal regulatory requirements and field operational demands.