Kelly Wagner

Kelly Wagner serves as a Contract Specialist within the U.S. Census Bureau, supporting the agency’s mission to modernize data collection and dissemination through strategic acquisitions of technical and analytical services. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for mission-critical contracts related to digital survey systems, statistical research, and geospatial data infrastructure. Her work directly enables the Bureau’s priorities for the 2030 Decennial Census, ensuring timely, accurate, and secure data operations through compliant, transparent contracting practices. Wagner routinely handles complex service-based acquisitions requiring high levels of technical specificity and compliance with federal data governance standards. Wagner collaborates with a diverse array of vendors specializing in data analytics, survey methodology, and commercial printing services. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with proven expertise in census operations, survey design, and large-scale data processing. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, rigorous vendor evaluation, and adherence to federal acquisition regulations, fostering long-term partnerships with contractors capable of scaling solutions across national operations. Wagner’s procurement activities reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions classified as non-set-aside. This indicates a strategic focus on selecting the most qualified vendors based on technical merit and past performance rather than socioeconomic classifications. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her process remains fully compliant with all socioeconomic contracting requirements and encourages broad market participation through fair and open competition. Her primary procurement focus lies in three NAICS categories: 519130 (Other Information Services), 323111 (Commercial Printing), and 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities). She frequently procures digital survey platforms, data visualization tools, statistical analysis services, and high-volume, secure printing solutions for census materials. Her domain expertise centers on integrating advanced data technologies with public-facing information systems to support evidence-based policymaking.