Mary K. Jaep

Mary Jaep serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions for food and grocery distribution requirements within her agency. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations, executes competitive solicitations, and administers contracts to meet operational needs related to food manufacturing and wholesale supply chains. Her role is central to securing reliable, high-quality provisions that support mission-critical functions, often involving complex logistics and stringent quality control standards. She specializes in negotiated acquisitions under FAR Part 15 and routinely handles requirements for both commercial and non-commercial items. Mary’s contractor relationships are primarily with firms operating in the food manufacturing and grocery wholesale sectors, including suppliers of packaged food products, bulk commodity distributors, and specialty food processors. She engages with vendors through full and open competitions and maintains consistent communication to ensure performance compliance, delivery timelines, and quality assurance. Her approach emphasizes vendor accountability and contract performance monitoring, fostering long-term partnerships with suppliers capable of meeting federal food safety and labeling standards. Mary’s procurement activity is entirely focused on full and open competition, with no set-asides designated under 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or other socioeconomic programs. This reflects a deliberate strategy to prioritize market-wide competition and efficiency in fulfilling large-scale food supply requirements. While she does not formally reserve contracts for small businesses, she remains attentive to the capabilities of all eligible vendors, ensuring fair and transparent evaluation processes. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 311999 (All Other Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing), encompassing ready-to-eat meals, preserved foods, and value-added food products, as well as NAICS 424410 (General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers), which includes bulk grocery distribution and retail-ready packaging. She possesses deep expertise in food safety compliance, shelf-life management, and cold chain logistics, making her a key resource for acquisitions requiring strict adherence to USDA and FDA regulations.