Kelli Nekomoto

Kelli Nekomoto serves as the primary procurement lead for the Department of State Procurement Office in Hawaii, responsible for securing high-integrity printed materials critical to official state communications and ceremonial functions. Her role ensures the consistent, secure production of state-branded stationery, including business cards, letterheads, and official documents bearing the State Seal, all of which uphold the authenticity and dignity of governmental correspondence. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and performance monitoring—focusing exclusively on commercial printing services that meet stringent security and quality standards for federal and state use. Nekomoto maintains a streamlined contracting approach with a broad base of qualified commercial printers, prioritizing vendors with proven expertise in secure document production, tamper-evident finishes, and color-accurate reproduction of official insignia. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms possessing ISO 9001 certification, FedRAMP-aligned security protocols, and experience handling sensitive government print runs. Her working relationships are characterized by long-term vendor stability, rigorous compliance evaluations, and performance-based contract management. Nekomoto’s procurement strategy reflects a clear preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-asides. She does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB classifications, instead emphasizing technical capability, quality assurance, and delivery reliability over socioeconomic categorizations. Her approach aligns with the agency’s mission to ensure uniformity and integrity in state communications, regardless of vendor size or certification status. Her primary industry focus is NAICS 323111 (Commercial Printing, except Screen and Books), with deep specialization in secure offset and digital printing, embossing, foil stamping, and certified paper stock for official seals. She possesses technical expertise in compliance with federal printing standards, including GSA guidelines for state seal reproduction and chain-of-custody protocols for sensitive documents.