Margaret A. Zancanella

Margaret A. Zancanella serves as a Contract Specialist within the FA7000 10 Cons Lgc unit of the Department of the Air Force, where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical acquisitions to support aerospace research, cadet training, and facility modernization at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Her portfolio centers on procuring precision instrumentation, laboratory equipment, and specialized technical systems essential for maintaining cutting-edge analytical capabilities. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts—from solicitation and evaluation to award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning procurements with strategic operational readiness goals. Zancanella maintains consistent working relationships with a focused group of contractors, including SAWASAWA LLC, BERNARD CAP, LLC, TEAL DRONES INC, BRANSCOME OPERATING, LLC, and LAVISION, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with proven expertise in advanced sensing technologies, unmanned systems, and high-accuracy measurement instrumentation. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and technical fidelity, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in reliability and domain-specific capability. While the majority of her acquisitions (80%) are conducted without set-asides, she actively incorporates 8(a) competed contracts (20%) to promote small business participation in high-technical domains. This balanced strategy ensures competitive rigor while supporting socioeconomic objectives, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for certified small disadvantaged businesses in aerospace and laboratory support markets. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 238160 (Roofing Contractors) and 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), reflecting infrastructure modernization needs, alongside 541330 (Engineering Services) and 541310 (Architectural Services) to support facility upgrades and technical system integration. Zancanella’s expertise spans both physical infrastructure and advanced technical systems, making her a key enabler of the Academy’s mission to sustain world-class aerospace education and research.