Lisa O Cravens

Lisa O. Cravens serves as a Contract Specialist within the Telecommunications Division (HC1013) of the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical procurements to secure and modernize the Department of Defense’s global communications infrastructure. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for telecom systems, network services, and enabling technologies that support resilient, high-capacity connectivity across military and federal operations. Her portfolio centers on complex, mission-essential contracts requiring strict adherence to cybersecurity standards, interoperability requirements, and legacy system modernization goals, ensuring the delivery of secure, scalable telecommunications solutions aligned with DISA’s strategic objectives. Cravens maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of prime 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 established vendors with proven expertise in secure network deployment, fiber-optic infrastructure, and mission-critical telecom integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and long-term service sustainment, fostering collaborative vendor relationships grounded in reliability and mission alignment. Her procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 75% of awards issued under no set-aside authority, while maintaining a deliberate 25% commitment to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This balanced approach ensures access to innovative small business capabilities without compromising operational readiness or technical rigor. She actively encourages small business participation across multiple socioeconomic categories, aligning with DoD goals to broaden the defense industrial base. Cravens’ primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 561920 (Convention and Trade Show Organizers), reflecting her oversight of event-based technical demonstrations and interoperability trials critical to telecom system validation; NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services) for network design and integration; and NAICS 532490 for specialized equipment leasing and deployment infrastructure. Her expertise spans secure virtual private networks, tactical telecom systems, and fiber-based connectivity solutions essential to DoD’s modernization agenda.