Maria R. Wells

Maria R. Wells serves as a Contract Specialist and Contracting Officer, responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirement development and market research to contract award and administration. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and advancing agency mission objectives through strategic sourcing. Her portfolio primarily encompasses professional services contracts, with a strong emphasis on engineering, telecommunications, and security-related procurements. Wells ensures transparency, fairness, and efficiency in all acquisition actions, supporting mission-critical capabilities through timely and legally sound contracting decisions. Her contractor relationships are characterized by engagement with a broad base of qualified vendors, particularly those with expertise in engineering services, wired telecommunications infrastructure, and both physical and electronic security systems. While no single contractor dominates her award portfolio, she consistently collaborates with firms capable of delivering complex technical solutions under performance-based contract structures. Her approach emphasizes competitive bidding, clear statement of work development, and performance metrics to ensure accountability and value delivery. Wells demonstrates a strong preference for open, unrestricted competition, with 97.7% of her acquisitions issued without set-aside restrictions. Only 2.3% are designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a targeted but limited use of socioeconomic programs. This pattern suggests a procurement strategy prioritizing technical capability and market competitiveness over socioeconomic preferences, though she remains fully compliant with all applicable small business regulations when set-asides are warranted. Her primary industry focus lies in NAICS 541330 (Engineering Services), which accounts for over half of her acquisitions, followed by telecommunications carriers (517111) and security services (561621 and 561612). She routinely procures technical engineering design, network infrastructure, cybersecurity systems, and armed or unarmed security patrol services. Her expertise spans both technical and operational domains, enabling her to effectively evaluate proposals and manage contracts requiring specialized knowledge in civil, electrical, and information systems engineering.