Maria Baquerizo-Poole

Maria Baquerizo-Poole serves as a Contract Specialist within Mschq Norfolk, a key logistics and sustainment unit under the Department of the Navy. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions critical to maintaining the operational readiness of U.S. Navy surface and auxiliary vessels, with a focus on ship repair, deep-sea freight transportation, and mission-critical marine equipment. Her role encompasses solicitation development, source selection, contract negotiation, and performance monitoring, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and naval operational requirements. She plays a pivotal role in enabling fleet sustainment through timely and effective procurement of technical and logistical services essential to maritime readiness. Maria regularly collaborates with a core group of established contractors including ExxonMobil Marine Limited, Vigor Marine LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc, Foreign Policy Research Institute Inc, and Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing, Inc. These partnerships span maritime logistics, defense consulting, industrial maintenance, and specialized manufacturing, reflecting a preference for experienced, mission-capable vendors with proven track records in naval support environments. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term vendor reliability and technical competency over transactional engagements, fostering stable, performance-based relationships aligned with sustained fleet operations. Maria’s procurement portfolio reflects a strong emphasis on open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside categories. She does not routinely utilize socioeconomic programs such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead prioritizing capability, capacity, and mission alignment in source selection. This approach underscores a focus on mission-critical outcomes over socioeconomic targeting, aligning with the high-stakes, time-sensitive nature of naval sustainment requirements. Her primary NAICS focus areas include 811310 for commercial and industrial machinery repair and maintenance, 483111 for deep-sea freight transportation, and specialized manufacturing under 331315 and 334220. She specializes in procuring heavy-duty marine equipment servicing, maritime logistics, aluminum sheet fabrication for naval components, and wireless communications hardware, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with naval vessel sustainment domains.