Mary L. Hightower

Mrs. Mary L. Hightower serves as a Contracting Officer within the W6QM Micc-ft Stewart office of the Department of the Army, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing military installation readiness through the acquisition of critical construction and infrastructure services. Her portfolio centers on commercial and institutional building construction, heavy civil engineering, and mission-enabling facilities maintenance, ensuring Army training and operational environments remain functional, safe, and resilient. She manages full lifecycle procurements under FAR and DFARS guidelines, with a strong emphasis on competitive bidding, performance-based contracting, and compliance with federal construction standards. Mrs. Hightower maintains a consistent working relationship with X CELL MANAGEMENT INC, a key contractor frequently engaged for complex facility upgrades and infrastructure modernization. Her procurement approach prioritizes long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance accountability and regulatory adherence, fostering reliable delivery of construction and maintenance services across multiple Army installations. She collaborates closely with project engineers and program managers to align contracting strategies with operational timelines and technical specifications. Her contracting patterns reflect a robust commitment to socioeconomic objectives, with HUBZone set-asides accounting for over two-thirds of her awards, underscoring her dedication to revitalizing economically distressed communities through federal contracting. She also regularly utilizes 8(a), total small business, and service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-asides, demonstrating a balanced yet intentional strategy to expand opportunities for disadvantaged and veteran-owned firms. Mrs. Hightower’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), complemented by significant activity in electrical systems (238210), other building equipment (238290), and heavy civil infrastructure (237110, 237990). She specializes in acquiring turnkey construction, roofing, plumbing, and water/sewer system upgrades, requiring deep technical understanding of building codes, MEP systems, and federal construction standards to ensure mission-critical facility integrity.