Katie S. Conover

Katie S. Conover serves as a Contract Specialist within the 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants Management unit of the Federal Highway Administration, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurement actions that support the nation’s transportation infrastructure modernization. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for professional, scientific, and technical services, with a focus on engineering analyses, transportation research, and operational consulting that directly inform highway design, safety enhancements, and data-driven infrastructure planning. Her work ensures alignment with federal acquisition regulations and supports the agency’s mission to advance resilient, innovative, and evidence-based transportation solutions. Conover maintains strategic relationships with key contractors including K & M Transportation Services LLC and the University of California, Los Angeles, leveraging long-term partnerships with both private-sector engineering firms and leading academic research institutions. These collaborations are characterized by sustained engagement on multi-year, performance-based task orders requiring specialized technical expertise in transportation systems analysis, traffic modeling, and infrastructure resilience studies. Her contracting approach emphasizes clear performance metrics, technical rigor, and compliance with federal standards for deliverables and reporting. Her procurement patterns reflect a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under no set-aside status. This indicates a deliberate focus on selecting the most qualified providers regardless of socioeconomic designation, prioritizing technical capability and mission alignment over socioeconomic targeting. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, all procurements adhere strictly to fair and transparent competition principles. Conover’s primary procurement focus is centered on NAICS 541990 — All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services — encompassing a broad range of high-level technical services including transportation systems engineering, behavioral safety research, intelligent transportation systems consulting, and infrastructure performance evaluation. Her domain expertise lies in securing services that bridge applied research with real-world highway operations, ensuring federal investments yield measurable improvements in safety, efficiency, and sustainability.