Kelli S Richards

Kelli S. Richards serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Forest Service’s Region 3 Southwestern Regional Office, supporting the agency’s mission to sustain forest infrastructure and public land stewardship. She manages a diverse portfolio of service-based acquisitions focused on facility maintenance, environmental operations, and civil works support. Her work directly enables the operational readiness of trails, visitor facilities, water systems, and land management assets across the region, ensuring compliance with federal contracting standards while advancing sustainable resource management goals. Richards maintains a consistent working relationship with GERMRIP LLC, a primary contractor delivering janitorial, waste management, and environmental services critical to facility operations. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for long-term, performance-based partnerships with vendors capable of delivering integrated maintenance solutions across remote and high-use public lands. She frequently engages contractors with proven expertise in environmental compliance, seasonal service delivery, and infrastructure support in rugged terrain. Her procurement strategy prioritizes small business participation, with over 45% of awards designated for total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, and an additional 5% reserved for women-owned small businesses. While the majority of contracts remain open to all competitors, her consistent use of socioeconomic set-asides demonstrates a deliberate commitment to fostering equitable access and building capacity among small, locally based vendors. The bulk of her acquisitions fall under NAICS 561720 (Janitorial Services), reflecting the operational need for routine custodial and sanitation support at visitor centers and ranger stations. She also regularly procures solid waste collection (562111), soil preparation and planting services (115112), and water supply system maintenance (221310), underscoring her technical expertise in environmental services and land management support. Her contracting profile reveals deep domain knowledge in sustaining public land infrastructure through targeted, mission-aligned service contracts.