Patricia Simon

Patricia M. Simon supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Minneapolis, MN, managing critical procurement activities aligned with national biosecurity and agricultural protection goals. She oversees the acquisition of scientific, technical, and operational services essential to surveillance, diagnostic testing, and pest containment programs. Her portfolio includes contracts for analytical laboratory instrumentation, pesticide manufacturing, and specialized technical services that directly support APHIS’s mission to safeguard U.S. crops, livestock, and ecosystems from biological threats. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while prioritizing mission-critical capabilities and supply chain resilience. Simon maintains consistent partnerships with a select group of contractors specializing in aviation maintenance, environmental engineering, and scientific instrumentation, including Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC; Thorobred Aviation Maintenance, Inc.; and AR6 Construction & Engineering, LLC. These relationships reflect a focus on niche vendors capable of delivering high-precision, mission-specific solutions—ranging from aircraft-based surveillance support to laboratory infrastructure upgrades. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, technical expertise, and rapid response capabilities, often requiring specialized certifications and compliance with federal biocontainment standards. Her procurement patterns reveal a strong emphasis on small business participation, with nearly 40% of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. While no specific socioeconomic set-asides (e.g., 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB) dominate, her consistent use of small business set-asides signals a deliberate strategy to foster innovation and capacity-building among qualified small vendors. This aligns with APHIS’s broader goals of leveraging diverse supplier networks for agile, mission-critical responses. Her primary NAICS focus includes All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990) and Pesticide and Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (325320), underscoring expertise in biosecurity science, diagnostic support, and agricultural chemical management. She also procures analytical lab equipment (334516) and temporary scientific staffing (561320), reflecting a technical domain centered on pathogen detection, field surveillance, and laboratory operational support.