Latina Barden

Latina Barden serves as a Contract Specialist at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Forrest City under the Department of Justice, where she manages the acquisition of mission-critical goods and services essential to the safe and humane operation of federal correctional facilities. Her primary responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for high-volume perishable food supplies—including fresh eggs, dairy, bread, and meat—as well as facility support services such as infrastructure maintenance and environmental systems. Barden ensures all procurements comply with federal acquisition regulations, maintain operational continuity, and uphold the agency’s commitment to food safety, supply chain reliability, and institutional sustainability. Barden works closely with a diverse base of suppliers, primarily merchant wholesalers and specialized food manufacturers, to secure consistent, high-quality provisions under time-sensitive delivery schedules. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she maintains collaborative relationships with vendors capable of meeting strict federal food handling and distribution standards. Her contracting approach emphasizes vendor reliability, compliance with USDA and FDA guidelines, and the ability to scale operations to meet the demands of a large, 24/7 institutional environment. Barden exhibits a strong preference for small business participation, with over one-third of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Though no specific socioeconomic categories like 8(a) or HUBZone are dominant, her consistent use of small business set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to expand economic opportunity among qualified vendors while ensuring competitive pricing and service quality. Her procurement focus is overwhelmingly centered on NAICS 311999 (All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing) and 311991 (Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing), underscoring her technical expertise in perishable supply chain management. She also handles ancillary services under NAICS 561790 and 238330, demonstrating cross-domain proficiency in facility maintenance and building support systems critical to institutional operations.