Michelle N. Bennett

Michelle N. Bennett serves as a key procurement professional within the DSC Contracting Services Division of the National Park Service, overseeing the acquisition of critical infrastructure services essential to preserving and modernizing America’s national parks. She manages a diverse portfolio of construction, utility, and security-related contracts, ensuring compliance with federal standards while supporting the agency’s mission to sustain historic structures and resilient utility systems in ecologically sensitive and remote locations. Her work directly enables the rehabilitation of aging facilities, the upgrade of water and sewer infrastructure, and the enhancement of visitor safety and accessibility across protected lands. Bennett maintains consistent partnerships with a core group of experienced contractors, including HDR Engineering Inc., Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc., McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, BookCliff Partners, LLC, and Aleut Construction LLC. These relationships reflect a preference for firms with proven expertise in civil engineering, historic preservation, and remote-site construction. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, technical proficiency, and the ability to operate under challenging environmental and logistical constraints typical of National Park Service sites. A strong advocate for small business participation, Bennett consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, directing nearly 60% of her acquisitions to small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster economic opportunity and leverage the specialized capabilities of small, often locally based, contractors with niche expertise in park infrastructure. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a sustained commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising technical rigor or mission outcomes. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 221310 (Water Supply and Irrigation Systems) and 238220 (Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors), with additional emphasis on 237110 (Water and Sewer Line Construction) and 561621 (Security Systems Services). These reflect deep technical expertise in utility modernization, environmental compliance, and site security—domains critical to sustaining the operational integrity of national park infrastructure.