Mara E. Shultz

Mara E. Shultz serves as a Contracting Officer within the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service, FAS AAS Region 5, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing federal mission readiness through the acquisition of advanced information technology, communications systems, and engineering solutions. She manages complex procurements for mission-critical infrastructure, including command, control, and intelligence systems, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while supporting the modernization of government-wide IT operations. Her portfolio emphasizes integrated systems design, secure communications equipment, and IT operations services essential to national security and operational continuity. Shultz maintains a broad network of vendor partnerships across Tier 1 systems integrators, communications equipment manufacturers, and specialized IT service providers. While no single contractor dominates her award profile, she consistently engages with firms capable of delivering secure, scalable, and interoperable technology solutions under performance-based contracting frameworks. Her approach prioritizes technical capability, cybersecurity readiness, and lifecycle support, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in transparency and regulatory compliance. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 92.9% of awards issued without set-aside restrictions. Nevertheless, she actively supports small business participation, allocating approximately 5.4% of awards to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5 and 1.8% to HUBZone-certified firms, demonstrating a measured but intentional commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising mission requirements. Shultz’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 517919 (Other Telecommunications), reflecting expertise in next-generation network infrastructure and secure data transmission systems. She also regularly procures services under 541512 (Computer Systems Design) and 511210 (Software Publishers), alongside manufacturing categories such as 334210 and 334290 for specialized communications hardware. Her technical domain expertise spans mission-critical IT operations, encrypted communications, and integrated system architectures supporting federal defense and intelligence missions.