La grave, Colette

Colette La Grave supports the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education in executing mission-critical acquisitions that advance tribal self-determination and infrastructure resilience. While her formal title is not listed, her procurement activities center on securing services and goods essential to tribal education, facility modernization, and technological capacity building. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts aligned with federal trust responsibilities, ensuring compliance with statutory mandates for tribal consultation and equitable resource allocation. Her acquisitions typically involve professional engineering, IT systems design, construction support, and specialized manufacturing services tailored to remote and underserved tribal communities. La Grave maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of contractors deeply experienced in serving Native communities, including SEALASKA CONSTRUCTORS LLC, TEPA EC, LLC, GOLDBELT HAWK L.L.C., CGI FEDERAL INC., and COOPER ZIETZ ENGINEERS, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for firms with proven expertise in tribal environmental compliance, educational technology deployment, and culturally informed infrastructure development. Her contracting patterns suggest a focus on long-term, mission-aligned vendor relationships rather than transactional procurement, fostering trust and continuity in service delivery across reservation-based operations. Her procurement strategy is distinguished by a strong emphasis on socioeconomic set-asides, with over 61% of awards directed toward Indian Small Business Economic Enterprise (ISBEE) set-asides—specific to the Department of the Interior and Indian Health Service authorities. An additional 11.1% utilize Indian Economic Enterprise (IEE) set-asides, underscoring a deliberate commitment to advancing economic opportunity within Native-owned businesses. Small business participation is a core pillar of her contracting philosophy, with nearly 75% of awards reserved for tribal and Native-owned entities under specialized federal set-aside programs. Her technical focus lies primarily in computer systems design services (NAICS 541512) and computer storage device manufacturing (NAICS 334112), reflecting a strategic investment in digital infrastructure for tribal schools and administrative offices. She also procures specialized manufacturing (NAICS 337215) and telecommunications services (NAICS 517919), demonstrating expertise in acquiring both hardware and IT-enabled solutions that bridge the digital divide in rural tribal communities.