Kendrea Vallien, Contracting Officer

Kendrea Vallien serves as a Contracting Officer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing human spaceflight capabilities through the acquisition of critical scientific, engineering, and operational support services. Her portfolio centers on procurements that enable life sciences research, spacecraft systems development, and mission operations for crewed missions beyond low Earth orbit. Vallien manages complex contract actions under FAR and NASA FAR Supplement guidelines, ensuring alignment with the Center’s strategic priorities in microgravity physiology, radiation biology, and advanced guidance and control systems. She routinely handles research and development contracts, engineering services, and specialized logistics support essential to sustaining human presence in space. Vallien maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including Sierra Space Corp, Aspera Biomedicines, Inc., and Single Crystal Diamond Inc., reflecting her focus on innovative aerospace and life science technologies. Her contracting approach emphasizes collaboration with firms capable of delivering high-reliability systems and cutting-edge research outputs under stringent spaceflight standards. She also engages Wright & Dalbin Architects Inc. for facility-specific engineering support, indicating a balanced portfolio spanning both technical and infrastructure-related procurements. Her vendor partnerships are characterized by technical rigor, performance accountability, and long-term mission alignment. Vallien demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately 20% of her awards directed toward small business set-asides—equally split between Total Small Business and HUBZone programs. While the majority of her acquisitions are unrestricted, she actively prioritizes participation from HUBZone-certified firms, reflecting NASA’s mandate to foster economic opportunity in underserved communities while maintaining mission-critical performance standards. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 481212 (nonscheduled chartered freight air transportation), 541330 (engineering services), and 541715 (research and development in physical and life sciences). These categories underscore her expertise in procuring specialized aerospace logistics, systems engineering, and experimental research services critical to human space exploration, particularly in microgravity environments and advanced materials development.