Penny R Zortman

Penny Zortman serves as the primary contracting representative for the USDA Forest Service’s Csa East 12 Usda-fs office, overseeing the acquisition of critical infrastructure projects essential to national forest stewardship. She manages a diverse portfolio of construction and engineering contracts focused on maintaining public access, ecological resilience, and safety across federal forest lands. Her work centers on procuring services for the rehabilitation and construction of forest roads, bridges, campgrounds, and utility systems, ensuring alignment with federal environmental and accessibility standards. Zortman plays a pivotal role in translating agency mission objectives into actionable procurement strategies that support long-term forest management goals. She maintains consistent relationships with a core group of contractors including FinCantieri Marine Repair LLC, McKenzie Construction & Site Development LLC, Marrero, Couvillon & Associates, L.L.C., and Russell Byrd, all of whom specialize in heavy civil construction and site development. These partnerships reflect a preference for firms with demonstrated expertise in remote-site logistics, erosion control, and environmentally sensitive construction practices. Zortman’s procurement approach emphasizes reliability, compliance with federal construction codes, and the ability to operate in challenging terrain, fostering long-term vendor collaboration grounded in performance and regulatory adherence. Zortman exhibits a strong commitment to small business participation, with 66% of her acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Her contracting patterns prioritize inclusive economic opportunity, consistently directing awards to small, locally based firms capable of delivering specialized civil works in rural and ecologically sensitive areas. While no other socioeconomic set-asides are dominant, her reliance on small business set-asides underscores a deliberate strategy to strengthen regional economic resilience through federal procurement. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 237310 (Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction) and 237990 (Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction), with significant activity in commercial and institutional building construction under 236220. She specializes in acquiring services for forest infrastructure rehabilitation, including culvert replacement, trail development, and structural repairs, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with federal construction standards and environmental mitigation requirements.