Merari Rivera-Schoell

Merari A. Rivera-Schoell serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions, from requirement validation and market research through solicitation, evaluation, award, and contract administration. Within the agency’s acquisition framework, she ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while advancing mission-critical supply chain objectives. Her portfolio primarily centers on general line grocery merchant wholesale services, reflecting a focused approach to procuring food and related consumable goods essential to federal operations. She works closely with program stakeholders to translate operational needs into precise contract specifications and negotiates terms that balance cost-effectiveness with performance standards. Rivera-Schoell maintains a broad network of qualified vendors within the grocery wholesale sector, engaging with both large-scale distributors and niche suppliers capable of meeting federal delivery, safety, and packaging requirements. Her contracting patterns emphasize competitive, open-market procurements under FAR Part 12, leveraging simplified acquisition procedures where appropriate. She fosters transparent, relationship-based interactions with contractors, prioritizing reliability, compliance, and consistent service delivery over transactional engagements. Her procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted without set-aside designations such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB. While she does not currently utilize socioeconomic programs, her approach ensures full and open competition in accordance with statutory requirements, promoting fairness and efficiency in vendor selection. Rivera-Schoell specializes in NAICS 424410—General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers—procuring a wide array of perishable and non-perishable food items, including fresh produce, dairy, frozen goods, and dry pantry staples. Her technical expertise lies in understanding supply chain logistics, food safety standards (e.g., FDA and USDA compliance), and just-in-time delivery protocols critical to federal feeding programs and institutional operations. She brings deep domain knowledge in bulk commodity procurement and vendor performance metrics within the grocery wholesale industry.