Melissa R. Tyson

Melissa R. Tyson serves as a key procurement professional within the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Acquisition, supporting the agency’s mission to advance roadway safety through evidence-based policy and technological innovation. She manages a diverse portfolio of acquisitions focused on research, engineering services, and public safety communications, ensuring alignment with NHTSA’s regulatory and behavioral science priorities. Her work directly enables the development and implementation of vehicle safety standards, fuel efficiency initiatives, and public awareness campaigns by securing specialized technical expertise and analytical capabilities from external vendors. Tyson maintains strategic relationships with contractors specializing in social science research, engineering analysis, and public outreach solutions. Her primary partners include AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC and AEROSPACE & COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, both of which provide technical support for data-driven safety evaluations and system modeling. She also collaborates with the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ESEA STATE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS to deliver community-based safety education initiatives. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for performance-based, outcome-oriented agreements that emphasize measurable safety impacts and technical rigor. Her procurement approach prioritizes open competition, with 63.6% of awards issued without set-asides, while maintaining a meaningful commitment to small business participation. She consistently utilizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5 (27.3%) and 8(a) competed contracts (9.1%), demonstrating a balanced strategy that promotes market competition while fostering socioeconomic inclusion in federal contracting. Tyson’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities), reflecting her emphasis on behavioral studies, public perception analysis, and policy evaluation. She also procures engineering services (541330), computer systems (423430), and specialized signage (339950) to support NHTSA’s multi-disciplinary safety programs. Her expertise spans the intersection of human behavior, vehicle technology, and regulatory compliance, making her a critical link between policy objectives and operational execution.