Leslie A. Kenser

Leslie Kenser serves as a Contract Specialist within the U.S. Coast Guard’s Headquarters Contract Operations (CG-912), where she plays a pivotal role in executing strategic acquisitions that support national maritime security and operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of complex procurements for aerospace, maritime, and technical services, with a focus on modernizing vessel fleets, enhancing maritime domain awareness systems, and sustaining critical search and detection capabilities. Her work directly enables the Coast Guard’s mission to secure U.S. waterways through timely, compliant, and mission-driven contracting actions. Kenser maintains established relationships with key shipbuilders and defense contractors, including Bollinger Shipyards Lockport, L.L.C., Davie Defense Inc., Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, and Rozema’s Boat Works, Inc., reflecting a preference for experienced maritime industrial partners capable of delivering specialized vessel construction and modernization. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a reliance on long-term vendor partnerships grounded in technical expertise, quality assurance, and delivery reliability, particularly for high-value, mission-critical maritime platforms and support services. Her procurement approach prioritizes open competition, with 78.3% of awards issued without set-asides, while maintaining a meaningful commitment to small business participation. She regularly awards contracts to Women-Owned Small Businesses and 8(a) competed vendors, consistently aligning with FAR 19.5 small business set-aside guidelines to foster economic opportunity within the defense industrial base. Kenser’s portfolio is heavily concentrated in IT and engineering services, with primary NAICS codes in Other Computer Related Services (541519), Administrative Management Consulting (541611), and Computer Systems Design Services (541512). She procures a range of technical solutions including systems integration, software development, and engineering support critical to command and control infrastructure, sensor networks, and data analytics platforms that underpin the Coast Guard’s digital transformation and operational effectiveness.