Kathryn M. Griffin

Kathy M. Griffin serves as a Contracting Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS), where she manages the acquisition of critical logistical, operational, and technical support services essential to wildland fire suppression, emergency incident management, and resource conservation. Her portfolio focuses on enabling rapid deployment of mobile command infrastructure, water handling systems, and field-based personnel support, ensuring the Forest Service maintains operational readiness across national forests and grasslands. Griffin handles a diverse range of contract types, including performance-based service contracts, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles, and task orders under GSA schedules, consistently aligning procurements with federal acquisition regulations and agency strategic priorities. Griffin cultivates collaborative relationships with a broad spectrum of vendors, including specialized forestry support contractors, civil engineering firms, and specialty trade contractors who deliver field-ready solutions for remote and high-risk environments. She works closely with firms experienced in incident command logistics, mobile infrastructure deployment, and emergency response systems, fostering partnerships that prioritize agility, scalability, and compliance with federal environmental and safety standards. Her procurement approach emphasizes vendor reliability, technical proficiency, and the ability to operate under dynamic field conditions. A strong advocate for small business participation, Griffin consistently prioritizes set-aside opportunities, with nearly 48% of her awards designated for Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. She also actively promotes participation by HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, reflecting a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic equity and community-based economic development. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a balanced approach between open competition and targeted set-asides to maximize vendor diversity and innovation. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 115310 (Support Activities for Forestry), where she acquires specialized services such as fuel reduction, fireline construction, and ecological restoration support. She also regularly procures commercial and institutional construction services (236220) and heavy civil engineering (237990) to support infrastructure resilience in forested regions, demonstrating deep technical expertise in mission-critical environmental and operational contracting.