Linday P. Ashford

Linday P. Ashford serves as a Contract Specialist within the Telecommunications Division (HC1013) of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she plays a pivotal role in procuring mission-critical telecommunications infrastructure to support the Department of Defense’s global communications network. She manages the full lifecycle of complex acquisitions, including requirements development, solicitation, evaluation, and contract award, with a focus on secure network solutions, virtual private networks, and modernized telecom systems that ensure interoperability across military and federal operations. Her work directly enables the agency’s mission to sustain resilient, high-capacity communications for defense and national security operations. Ashford maintains consistent, long-term relationships with key contractors including AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Liberty Communications, Inc., AOC Connect LLC, and Norfolk Fiber, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in secure fiber-optic deployment, encrypted communications, and mission-focused telecom integration. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based contracting and vendor accountability, fostering collaborative relationships with industry partners who demonstrate technical proficiency and compliance with DoD cybersecurity and network resilience standards. A defining feature of Ashford’s contracting profile is her exclusive use of Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a steadfast commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals. Every acquisition she manages is structured to maximize opportunities for small businesses, ensuring broad participation from diverse small business concerns without reliance on other set-aside categories. This pattern underscores her dedication to expanding the defense industrial base and promoting equitable access to federal telecommunications contracts. While NAICS data is not currently available, her acquisitions consistently target telecommunications services, network infrastructure deployment, and secure data transmission solutions. Her technical domain expertise centers on modernizing legacy telecom systems, implementing secure fiber networks, and supporting DoD-wide connectivity requirements through next-generation communication platforms and hardened network architectures.