Marki Settles

Marki Settles serves as a Contract and Acquisition Support Specialist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), where they play a critical role in facilitating the acquisition of technical and scientific solutions to counter weapons of mass destruction. Supporting the agency’s mission to detect, deter, and neutralize chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosive threats, Settles manages complex procurements involving advanced research, analytical tools, and mission-critical systems. Their work spans the full acquisition lifecycle—from requirements definition and market research to contract award and administration—with a focus on high-impact, science-driven contracts that enable rapid response and operational readiness. Settles maintains strong, sustained relationships with leading technical contractors including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established firms with deep expertise in defense science, data analytics, and cyber-enabled threat mitigation. The working relationships are characterized by long-term collaboration, technical alignment, and a focus on delivering innovative, scalable solutions under time-sensitive operational constraints. Settles’ procurement activity reflects a uniform preference for full and open competition, with 100% of acquisitions conducted without set-asides. This indicates a strategic emphasis on accessing the broadest possible pool of technical capability rather than socioeconomic targeting, aligning with HDTRA1’s mission-critical need for specialized, high-performance solutions. The primary NAICS codes driving Settles’ portfolio are 519130 (Other Activities Related to Scientific and Technical Consulting Services) and 332999 (All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing). This dual focus underscores procurement of advanced scientific consulting services alongside specialized defense hardware, reflecting HDTRA1’s hybrid need for analytical expertise and engineered systems to support threat detection and mitigation operations.