Akers, Phil J

Phil Akers serves as Chief Ranger for the DSC Contracting Services Division within the National Park Service, where he oversees the procurement and contract management of infrastructure projects essential to preserving and enhancing national park facilities. His role centers on ensuring the integrity of visitor services, historic preservation, and utility systems across ecologically sensitive and remote landscapes. Akers manages a portfolio of acquisitions focused on recreation and amenity infrastructure, including trail systems, visitor centers, restrooms, and associated site development. He works closely with engineering, environmental, and construction teams to align contracting strategies with operational needs and resource conservation goals. Akers maintains longstanding partnerships with leading engineering and construction firms including AECOM Technical Services, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, HDR Engineering, and McKenzie Construction & Site Development. These relationships are characterized by collaborative, performance-based contracting approaches, with an emphasis on technical excellence, environmental compliance, and long-term asset sustainability. His procurement patterns reflect a preference for integrated service providers capable of delivering multidisciplinary solutions across civil, environmental, and recreational infrastructure domains. Akers’ contracting activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most technically qualified vendors regardless of socioeconomic designation, prioritizing capability and mission alignment over preferential set-asides. While small business participation is not formally incentivized in his portfolio, contractors are evaluated on technical merit, past performance, and capacity to execute complex, mission-critical projects. His primary procurement focus is under NAICS 713990 (All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries), encompassing the design, construction, and rehabilitation of recreational infrastructure such as boardwalks, interpretive exhibits, parking areas, and accessibility upgrades. His expertise lies in managing projects that balance public access with ecological preservation, requiring deep familiarity with federal environmental regulations, historic preservation standards, and site-specific construction constraints in protected areas.