Katie Carter

Katie Carter serves as a Contracts Specialist within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), supporting the agency’s mission to advance scientific understanding of oceanic, atmospheric, and coastal systems through strategic procurement of technical and professional services. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions, from requirements development and market research to contract award and administration, with a focus on mission-critical scientific, environmental, and operational support contracts. Her portfolio includes complex procurements requiring specialized technical expertise in data systems, environmental monitoring, and research infrastructure, ensuring alignment with NOAA’s priorities in climate resilience, marine ecosystem protection, and oceanographic research. Katie maintains consistent working relationships with a diverse set of contractors, including the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP, JNB Services LLC, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC, and The Regents of the University of Colorado. These partnerships reflect a blend of academic, environmental consulting, and technical services providers, indicating a preference for firms with demonstrated capability in scientific research support, environmental compliance, and data system integration. Her contracting patterns suggest collaborative, long-term engagements with vendors who can deliver specialized, non-commodity services tailored to NOAA’s scientific and operational needs. Katie’s procurement activity is overwhelmingly non-set-aside, with 90.9% of awards issued under full and open competition, reflecting a focus on technical merit and capability over socioeconomic preferences. However, she maintains a steady 9.1% allocation to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising mission-critical acquisition objectives. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Other Computer Related Services (541519), All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990), and Photofinishing Laboratories (812921), with additional activity in Boat Building (336612) and Search/Detection System Manufacturing (334511). This underscores her expertise in procuring advanced data systems, environmental analysis tools, specialized technical consulting, and niche marine equipment essential to NOAA’s observational and research infrastructure.