Kristen Carter

Kristen Carter serves as a key procurement lead within the W6QM Micc-JB Lewis-McChord, supporting the Department of the Army’s mission to sustain operational readiness through strategic facilities and infrastructure acquisition. She manages a diverse portfolio of construction and support services contracts, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and alignment with base-wide sustainability and security objectives. Her work directly enables the maintenance of mission-critical infrastructure, including transportation networks and environmental systems, while upholding DoD standards for safety, efficiency, and resilience. Carter routinely oversees complex, multi-year acquisitions under FAR Part 36 and Part 19, with a strong emphasis on performance-based contracting and lifecycle cost analysis. Her primary contractor relationships center on the Port of Moses Lake, a long-standing partner in civil works and infrastructure development, with additional engagements limited to niche service providers. These partnerships reflect a preference for established, geographically aligned vendors capable of executing large-scale construction tasks under stringent military operational constraints. While the majority of awards flow through a single dominant contractor, Carter maintains a disciplined vendor evaluation process that prioritizes past performance, safety records, and compliance with federal environmental and labor standards. Carter demonstrates a pronounced commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 75% of her awards structured as 8(a) competed set-asides and an additional 25% allocated under total small business set-asides per FAR 19.5. This pattern underscores a deliberate strategy to foster minority-owned and small business participation in high-impact infrastructure projects, aligning with Army-wide goals to broaden the defense industrial base and promote equitable economic opportunity. Her procurement focus is overwhelmingly concentrated in NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction), reflecting her expertise in civil infrastructure development for military installations. She also manages a smaller but vital portfolio in NAICS 541930 (Translation and Interpretation Services), supporting linguistic readiness for joint operations and multicultural personnel support. This dual specialization highlights her ability to balance heavy civil works with critical human services procurement in a complex, multi-mission environment.