Marilee Barnes

Marilee Barnes serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing complex acquisitions within the aerospace and defense sector, with a primary focus on aircraft manufacturing. In this role, she ensures compliance with federal procurement regulations while advancing mission-critical capabilities through competitive, transparent, and efficient contracting processes. She oversees the full lifecycle of contracts—from solicitation and evaluation to award and administration—typically handling high-technical, performance-based requirements for military and civil aviation systems. Her work directly supports national security and aviation infrastructure objectives by securing advanced aircraft platforms and related subsystems. While specific contractor names are not available, Barnes maintains relationships with a broad spectrum of prime contractors and subcontractors qualified in aircraft design, systems integration, and aerospace manufacturing. Her procurement approach emphasizes fair competition among qualified industry participants, fostering collaboration with vendors possessing specialized technical expertise in airframe construction, avionics, and propulsion systems. She prioritizes clear performance metrics and risk mitigation strategies in contract language to ensure delivery of mission-ready platforms. Barnes’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically capable and cost-effective solutions regardless of socioeconomic status, consistent with the strategic needs of the aircraft manufacturing domain. While small business participation is not formally prioritized in her portfolio, she remains compliant with all statutory requirements and may facilitate subcontracting opportunities through prime contractor obligations. Her technical expertise centers exclusively on NAICS 336411—Aircraft Manufacturing—where she procures everything from manned and unmanned fixed-wing platforms to advanced flight control systems and mission-specific avionics. She possesses deep familiarity with defense acquisition regulations, technical specifications for airworthiness certification, and supply chain dynamics unique to aerospace manufacturing. Her work ensures the U.S. maintains operational readiness through the acquisition of next-generation aviation systems.