Krisanne Dernago

Krisanne Dernago serves as a key procurement lead within the Indian Education Acquisition Office, part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education under the Department of the Interior. She manages acquisition strategies aligned with the agency’s mission to deliver culturally responsive educational environments for Native American students, with a focus on infrastructure and facility improvements that support safe, functional, and sustainable learning spaces. Her portfolio primarily encompasses construction-related contracts, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while prioritizing tribal sovereignty and community-centered outcomes. She works closely with contractors to deliver essential building upgrades, maintenance, and modernization projects across tribal school systems. Dernago maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of contractors, including RJS Construction Inc., Maguire Iron, Inc., and Lane Travel Inc., reflecting a preference for specialized, niche vendors with proven experience in tribal education infrastructure. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in reliability, cultural competency, and adherence to federal construction standards. She frequently engages with contractors who demonstrate familiarity with tribal land use protocols and environmental sensitivities, fostering collaborative relationships that prioritize quality and community impact over transactional exchanges. Her contracting patterns reveal a strong commitment to socioeconomic inclusion, with over 77% of acquisitions set aside specifically for Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises (ISBEE) and Indian Economic Enterprises (IEE), reflecting the agency’s statutory emphasis on empowering Native-owned businesses. An additional 11% of awards are designated under general Small Business Set-Asides, underscoring a deliberate strategy to expand economic opportunity within Indigenous communities through targeted contracting. Dernago’s technical focus centers on NAICS 238160 (Roofing Contractors) and 238220 (Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors), with secondary emphasis on commercial and institutional construction (236220). Her expertise lies in procuring building systems that ensure thermal efficiency, structural integrity, and ADA compliance in remote tribal school facilities, often requiring specialized materials and installation methods suited to harsh climates and limited logistical access.