Petra McPherson, Contract Specialist

Petra McPherson serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Coast Guard’s Headquarters Contract Operations (CG-912), where she supports strategic acquisition initiatives critical to national maritime security and operational readiness. She manages a diverse portfolio of contracts focused on aerospace, maritime, and technical services, with particular emphasis on search and detection systems, vessel modernization, and mission-critical training programs. Her work directly enables the Coast Guard’s priorities in enhancing coastal patrol capabilities, sustaining specialized vessel fleets, and advancing maritime domain awareness through timely and compliant acquisition processes. McPherson maintains enduring relationships with a core group of shipbuilding and maritime systems contractors, including Bollinger Shipyards, Davie Defense Inc., Rauma Marine Constructions Oy, and Rozema’s Boat Works, Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for specialized industrial vendors with proven expertise in naval architecture, vessel construction, and integrated system integration. Her contracting approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, technical alignment, and performance-based contract management to ensure mission-critical deliverables meet rigorous Coast Guard standards. Her procurement patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with 85.7% of awards issued without set-asides, reflecting a focus on technical capability and industrial capacity over socioeconomic classifications. However, she consistently allocates 14.3% of awards to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but active commitment to small business participation in support of national defense industrial base resilience. McPherson’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 611430 and 611420, indicating substantial investment in professional and computer-based training for Coast Guard personnel, alongside NAICS 334511 for the acquisition of advanced nautical and detection systems. Her expertise centers on procuring integrated maritime surveillance technologies, training platforms, and specialized vessel upgrades, positioning her at the intersection of operational readiness, workforce development, and high-tech maritime systems acquisition.