Mark Settles

Mark Settles serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions, from requirement validation and market research through solicitation, evaluation, award, and contract administration. He plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while advancing the agency’s mission through timely and efficient contract execution. His portfolio primarily consists of complex acquisitions in the energy and petroleum sectors, requiring deep technical understanding of refining processes, lubricant manufacturing, and wholesale distribution systems. Settles routinely handles sealed bid and negotiated procurements under FAR Part 12 and Part 15, often coordinating with technical evaluators and legal counsel to mitigate risk and ensure regulatory alignment. His contractor relationships are centered on large-scale industrial suppliers and specialized manufacturers with proven capabilities in petroleum refining and downstream logistics. While no single vendor dominates his award portfolio, he maintains consistent engagement with firms possessing the technical infrastructure to meet stringent quality and safety standards in hydrocarbon processing. His working pattern emphasizes competitive bidding and performance-based contracting, favoring vendors with established track records in industrial supply chain management and regulatory compliance. Settles demonstrates a strong preference for open competition, with 92% of his acquisitions conducted without set-aside restrictions. However, he actively supports socioeconomic goals by reserving approximately 8% of opportunities for small business categories, including Total Small Business Set-Asides and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) procurements. His approach reflects a balanced commitment to maximizing competition while ensuring meaningful participation from qualified disadvantaged and veteran-owned firms. His technical expertise is concentrated in NAICS 324110 (Petroleum Refineries), which accounts for over 80% of his activity, followed by lubricating oil manufacturing (324191) and petroleum merchant wholesaling (424720). He procures specialized equipment, maintenance services, and bulk commodity supplies essential to energy infrastructure operations, demonstrating deep familiarity with industry-specific specifications, testing protocols, and safety certifications.