Kelly Updegraff

Kelly Updegraff serves as a Contracting Officer for the Southern Research Station within the U.S. Forest Service’s Department of Agriculture, where she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions critical to advancing applied forest science. Her portfolio centers on supporting field-based ecological monitoring, forest health assessment, and conservation infrastructure, ensuring that research operations remain compliant, functional, and responsive to environmental mandates. She specializes in acquiring technical services and operational support for remote research sites, including equipment maintenance, data collection systems, and environmental compliance services, all aligned with the Station’s mission to sustain scientific readiness across the southern U.S. forest landscape. Updegraff maintains a consistent working relationship with LSG Management, LLC, a primary contractor providing specialized support activities for forestry operations. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in reliability, technical expertise, and adherence to federal environmental standards. She collaborates closely with contractors to ensure seamless integration of field services with research objectives, fostering a collaborative environment that prioritizes mission-critical delivery over transactional contracting. A staunch advocate for small business participation, Updegraff applies a 100% total small business set-aside strategy across all her acquisitions, fully leveraging FAR 19.5 to maximize opportunities for small, independently owned firms. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate and consistent commitment to socioeconomic diversity, ensuring that small businesses with relevant forestry expertise are prioritized in competitive solicitations without exception. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 115310—Support Activities for Forestry—encompassing services such as forest inventory support, trail and site maintenance, ecological data management, and environmental compliance assistance. She has developed deep technical proficiency in the operational needs of field research stations, ensuring that all contracted services directly enhance the Station’s capacity to conduct science-based forest stewardship and conservation.