Nancy Keeler

Nancy C. Keeler serves as a Contracting Officer for Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a unique U.S. Department of Justice entity that leverages inmate labor to produce goods and services for federal agencies. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with FAR and FPI’s statutory mandate to provide vocational training and rehabilitation through industrial work. Her acquisitions primarily support FPI’s manufacturing and operational needs, spanning industrial products, facility infrastructure, and logistics services, all aligned with the agency’s mission of self-sufficiency and cost-effective federal sourcing. Keeler maintains longstanding relationships with a select group of mission-aligned contractors, including Veterans Range Solutions, LLC, Krueger International, Inc., Veterans Environmental Group, LLC, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and Nightingale Corp. These partnerships reflect a preference for organizations with experience in sheltered workshops, veteran employment, and disability-focused manufacturing. Her contracting approach emphasizes collaborative, long-term vendor engagement, often involving non-traditional procurement pathways that align with FPI’s social enterprise model and statutory exclusivity under 18 U.S.C. § 4124. Her procurement portfolio demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with 43.5% of awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, while maintaining flexibility for open competition where appropriate. Though no specific socioeconomic set-asides dominate, her consistent use of small business set-asides underscores a deliberate strategy to foster economic opportunity and workforce inclusion through federal contracting. Keeler’s primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 322211 (corrugated and solid fiber box manufacturing), 532120 (truck and RV leasing), 562119 (other waste collection), and 337215 (showcase and locker manufacturing), reflecting FPI’s core industrial output. Her expertise lies in managing complex, labor-intensive production contracts that require coordination between correctional facilities, quality control systems, and federal supply chains, ensuring compliance with both procurement regulations and FPI’s rehabilitative objectives.