Melissa Sterling

Melissa L. Sterling serves as a key procurement professional within the Defense Information Systems Agency, supporting the acquisition of mission-critical information systems and services essential to the Department of Defense’s C4I infrastructure. She manages contracts aligned with DISA’s strategic priorities in cybersecurity, cloud modernization, and secure communications sustainment, ensuring the delivery of resilient, interoperable IT solutions for global military operations. Her portfolio primarily consists of complex, technical service-based acquisitions requiring deep domain expertise in enterprise IT architecture and secure infrastructure sustainment. Sterling maintains a consistent working relationship with EXPRESSION NETWORKS LLC, a trusted contractor providing specialized computer-related services that support DISA’s operational needs. Her procurement patterns reflect a preference for established, high-performance vendors with proven capabilities in delivering secure, scalable IT solutions. While she engages primarily with a single dominant contractor, her approach emphasizes performance accountability, technical compliance, and continuous service evolution rather than broad vendor diversification. Sterling’s contracting activity shows no use of socioeconomic set-asides, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a mission-driven prioritization of technical capability and operational readiness over socioeconomic preferences, consistent with DISA’s mandate to secure and sustain critical national defense systems without compromise. Her procurement strategy prioritizes performance outcomes and system integrity over participation metrics. Her acquisitions are exclusively classified under NAICS 541519 (Other Computer Related Services), indicating a sharp focus on specialized IT services including systems integration, cybersecurity operations, network sustainment, and mission-critical software support. She procures services that directly enable DISA’s core functions—secure cloud migration, spectrum management, and C4I modernization—requiring contractors with deep expertise in DoD standards, NIST frameworks, and zero-trust architecture.