Phyllis Hopson

Phyllis Hopson serves as a Contract Specialist within the Office of Acquisition and Grants at the Social Security Administration, where she plays a pivotal role in executing procurements that sustain the agency’s mission-critical infrastructure. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for IT modernization, systems integration, cybersecurity services, and facility-related contracts, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and alignment with SSA’s strategic priorities. Her work directly supports the secure and efficient delivery of social security benefits by enabling reliable operational systems and administrative services. Hopson maintains established relationships with key contractors including CA, Inc., Johnson Controls, Inc., East Coast Welding & Construction Co. Inc., and Colorid, LLC, reflecting a balanced portfolio of large-capability vendors delivering technical, engineering, and facility services. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes and rigorous source selection, fostering long-term partnerships with vendors capable of delivering complex, mission-aligned solutions under strict federal compliance standards. Her procurement patterns show a strong inclination toward open competition, with 66.7% of awards issued without set-asides, while 33.3% are structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate balance between leveraging large-scale expertise and actively promoting small business participation, particularly among firms with proven capabilities in technical and construction services. Her primary NAICS focus centers on 325910 (Printing Ink Manufacturing) and 511210 (Software Publishers), indicating a unique blend of procurement activity that spans both physical consumables and digital software solutions. While the printing ink classification may appear atypical, it likely supports specialized document production systems critical to SSA’s benefit issuance processes. Her technical domain expertise lies at the intersection of administrative systems, secure data handling, and facility infrastructure, making her a key enabler of SSA’s operational resilience.