Maria Hartsfield

Maria Hartsfield serves as a Contracting Specialist within the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing equitable housing access and community development through strategic procurement. She manages the acquisition of professional services critical to housing program integrity, regulatory compliance, and data-driven policy analysis, with a focus on research, consulting, and real estate-related support. Her acquisitions directly enable HUD’s mission to modernize administrative systems, strengthen housing underwriting frameworks, and conduct rigorous housing insecurity studies, ensuring that contracted expertise aligns with national housing equity goals. Hartsfield collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of professional services vendors, including management consultants, social science researchers, and real estate analytics firms. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages firms with demonstrated capacity in public sector policy analysis and HUD program support, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in performance accountability and compliance with federal acquisition regulations. Her contracting approach emphasizes transparency, competition, and vendor capability over volume, cultivating relationships with organizations capable of delivering high-integrity, evidence-based outcomes. A staunch advocate for socioeconomic equity in contracting, Hartsfield prioritizes small business participation, with 69.2% of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5. Her patterns reflect a deliberate focus on expanding opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and underserved firms, aligning with HUD’s broader commitment to inclusive economic development. She actively leverages the Small Business Administration’s set-aside programs to ensure broad vendor participation and equitable access to federal contracting opportunities. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541910 (marketing research and public opinion polling) and 541720 (research in social sciences and humanities), each accounting for nearly 29% of her portfolio, alongside significant activity in management consulting (541611, 541618) and real estate support services (531390). She specializes in acquiring analytical, evaluative, and strategic advisory services that inform housing policy, assess program effectiveness, and support data modernization initiatives across HUD’s national operations.