Lahonda Carter-Graves

Lahonda Carter-Graves serves as a Waste Management and Recycling Specialist at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, supporting the Department of the Navy’s mission to maintain operational medical readiness through sustainable facility operations. In this role, she manages procurement activities related to environmental compliance, medical waste disposal, hazardous material handling, and recycling infrastructure, ensuring alignment with federal environmental regulations and Department of Defense sustainability directives. Her acquisitions directly support the safe and efficient operation of clinical and support services, prioritizing environmentally responsible solutions that mitigate risk and reduce the facility’s ecological footprint. Carter-Graves collaborates with a diverse array of vendors specializing in biomedical waste treatment, sharps disposal systems, autoclave services, and institutional recycling logistics. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with certified environmental service providers, including those with expertise in DOT-compliant transport and EPA-regulated decontamination protocols. Her procurement approach emphasizes reliability, regulatory adherence, and service continuity, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of meeting the stringent operational demands of a high-acuity military medical center. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 73.7% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions, indicating a focus on capability over socioeconomic classification. However, she actively supports small business participation, with 26.3% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both mission-critical performance and economic opportunity. Her primary NAICS focus includes 811219 (Other Waste Management Services), reflecting her core responsibility for medical and hazardous waste handling, alongside 339113 (Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing) for specialized disposal containers and 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) for waste stream monitoring equipment. Her technical expertise lies at the intersection of environmental health, clinical safety, and regulatory compliance, ensuring procurement decisions support both operational integrity and environmental stewardship.