Lauren Gandolfi

Lauren Gandolfi serves as a key procurement professional within the W07V Endist New Orleans office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, supporting the agency’s mission to enhance civil infrastructure resilience across the Gulf Coast. She manages complex acquisitions for large-scale hydraulic and civil works projects, including flood risk reduction systems, coastal restoration initiatives, and water resource infrastructure. Her portfolio centers on design-build and construction-phase contracts requiring technical expertise in hydrology, geotechnical engineering, and environmental compliance, ensuring alignment with federal standards for public safety and ecological sustainability. Gandolfi maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of experienced contractors specializing in heavy civil construction and dredging operations, including WEEKS MARINE, INC., M.R. PITTMAN GROUP, L.L.C., and MUDDY WATER DREDGING, LP. These partnerships reflect a preference for firms with proven track records in marine construction, sediment management, and large earthmoving operations. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, contractor reliability, and adherence to stringent environmental and safety protocols, fostering long-term collaboration with vendors capable of executing technically demanding projects in sensitive coastal environments. Her procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 85.7% of awards issued without set-aside designations, indicating a focus on capability over socioeconomic classification. However, she consistently allocates 14.3% of opportunities to HUBZone-certified firms, demonstrating targeted support for economically distressed communities while maintaining rigorous technical standards. The majority of her acquisitions fall under NAICS 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction), reflecting deep expertise in infrastructure projects involving levees, floodwalls, channel improvements, and bulkhead construction. Secondary focus areas include engineering services (NAICS 541330) for feasibility studies and hydrologic modeling, with limited procurement of specialized equipment and landscaping services to support project integration and site restoration.