Leigh Kellstrom

Leigh Kellstrom serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), where she manages complex research and development acquisitions critical to advancing naval and national security technologies. Her portfolio focuses on foundational scientific innovation, including high-precision sensors, electronic warfare systems, signal processing architectures, and autonomous navigation platforms. Kellstrom ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while facilitating timely procurement of cutting-edge technical solutions that directly support NRL’s mission to pioneer next-generation maritime capabilities. She routinely handles sole-source, competitive, and other-than-full-and-open acquisitions for high-technology R&D services and specialized equipment manufacturing. Kellstrom maintains long-standing partnerships with key contractors including Assurance Technology Corp, L3Harris NexGen Communications LLC, Envisioneering Inc, Integration Innovation Inc, and Analex Corporation. These vendors are frequently selected for their proven expertise in defense electronics, communications systems, and advanced instrumentation integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical proficiency, past performance, and mission alignment over price alone, fostering collaborative relationships with industry partners capable of delivering high-risk, high-reward solutions under tight developmental timelines. Kellstrom’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 87.1% of awards issued without set-aside designations. When small business participation is pursued, it is primarily through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for qualified small businesses without compromising technical requirements. Her primary NAICS focus areas include R&D in physical and engineering sciences (541715 and 541712), professional organizations (813920), wireless communications equipment manufacturing (334220), and semiconductor machinery manufacturing (333242). She routinely procures advanced electronic systems, signal analysis tools, and mission-critical hardware requiring specialized engineering expertise, reflecting deep domain knowledge in defense-oriented physical sciences and systems integration.