Leslie Graber-Heshelman

Leslie A. Graber-Heshelman serves as a Contract Specialist at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (N00164), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex acquisitions for advanced electronic, electro-optical, and ordnance systems critical to naval warfare readiness. Her responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of contract management—from requirements validation and market research to solicitation, evaluation, and award—ensuring alignment with Department of the Navy strategic priorities in electronic warfare, signal intelligence, and precision targeting. She primarily handles competitive procurements for high-technology systems, including radar and communications platforms, ammunition, and mission-critical computing hardware, often under FAR and DFARS regulatory frameworks. Graber-Heshelman maintains longstanding relationships with key industry partners including Lockheed Martin Corporation, Programs Management Analytics & Technologies Inc., and Black Hills Ammunition Inc., reflecting a consistent reliance on established defense contractors with proven capabilities in systems integration, ordnance production, and technical services. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a preference for proven vendors with deep domain expertise in military-grade electronics and munitions, fostering stable, performance-driven partnerships that support rapid prototyping and field sustainment. Her procurement portfolio reflects no set-aside preferences, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This underscores a mission-driven focus on technical capability and operational readiness over socioeconomic categorization, prioritizing performance, quality, and delivery timelines above demographic-based contracting preferences. Her primary NAICS focus areas include 334511 for search, detection, and guidance systems (52%), 332992 and 332993 for small arms and ordnance manufacturing (32% combined), and 334111 for electronic computer manufacturing (8%). These reflect her specialization in procuring advanced sensors, signal processing hardware, precision munitions, and ruggedized computing platforms essential to expeditionary and surface warfare systems. Her expertise lies at the intersection of defense electronics, ammunition logistics, and mission-critical instrumentation.