Michelle M Mendez

Michelle M. Mendez serves as Director of Small Business Programs at U.S. Transportation Command (USTransCom), where she leads the strategic integration of small business participation into the agency’s global mobility procurement mission. In this role, she oversees the planning, execution, and compliance of acquisition strategies that ensure equitable access to contracting opportunities for small businesses while supporting USTransCom’s core mission of expeditionary logistics and joint force sustainment. She manages a diverse portfolio of transportation and logistics contracts, primarily focused on air, sea, and land mobility support services, including freight arrangement, port operations, and specialized aviation support. Mendez maintains strong, ongoing relationships with key contractors including UNCOMN LLC, PHOENIX AIR GROUP, INC., RAMPART AVIATION, LLC, FANCIULLI EGISTO S.R.L., and MOUNTAIN AVIATION, LLC, all of which provide critical transportation and logistics enablers for military operations. These partnerships are characterized by long-term performance reliability, technical specialization in expeditionary environments, and consistent compliance with federal acquisition regulations. Her procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and mission-critical service delivery over transactional vendor relationships. Notably, Mendez’s portfolio reflects a 100% non-set-aside contracting profile, indicating a preference for full and open competition across all socioeconomic categories. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, she actively promotes small business inclusion through subcontracting opportunities, mentor-protégé programs, and supplier development initiatives aligned with DoD small business goals. Her procurement focus is concentrated in four key NAICS categories: 483211 (Inland Water Freight Transportation), 488999 (All Other Support Activities for Transportation), 488510 (Freight Transportation Arrangement), and 488119 (Other Airport Operations). These reflect deep expertise in multimodal logistics coordination, port and terminal support, and air cargo movement—critical domains enabling global force projection and theater access for U.S. military operations.