Sheri L. Smith

Sheri L. Smith serves as the Supervisory Contracting Specialist at the U.S. Forest Service’s R10 Alaska Regional Office, where she leads the planning, solicitation, and award of complex procurement actions critical to maintaining federal infrastructure in Alaska’s remote and ecologically sensitive regions. Her role encompasses managing full lifecycle acquisitions for heavy civil engineering projects, transportation systems, and operational support services, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and mission-driven outcomes. She oversees a team responsible for delivering high-stakes contracts that enable safe access to federal lands through resilient roadways, bridges, and facility operations, aligning procurement strategy with the agency’s environmental stewardship and public safety priorities. Smith cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse pool of contractors specializing in heavy construction and engineering services, including small businesses with proven expertise in Arctic and subarctic conditions. She actively engages with vendors possessing specialized capabilities in remote logistics, cold-weather construction, and environmental mitigation, fostering long-term partnerships grounded in performance reliability and regulatory compliance. Her contracting approach emphasizes transparency, competitive fairness, and technical rigor, particularly when evaluating proposals for technically complex civil works. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Smith consistently prioritizes small business participation, directing 75% of her acquisitions toward total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. She actively leverages HUBZone, 8(a), and service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) programs to expand economic opportunity in Alaska’s underserved communities while ensuring access to qualified, mission-capable contractors. Her procurement focus centers on NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction), which accounts for half of her portfolio, alongside 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction) and 541611 (Administrative Management Consulting). She specializes in acquiring infrastructure design, construction management, and operational support services tailored to Alaska’s unique geographic and environmental challenges, demonstrating deep expertise in federal civil works procurement within extreme climates.