Rebecca L. Coulter

Rebecca L. Coulter serves as a Purchasing Agent within the Agricultural Research Service’s Office of Acquisition and Procurement (Agency Code: 12305B), where she plays a pivotal role in securing mission-critical resources to advance U.S. agricultural science. She manages the full lifecycle of procurements for high-precision laboratory instrumentation, specialized research services, and field-deployable agricultural equipment, ensuring alignment with the agency’s mandate to support cutting-edge crop, pest, and soil research. Her acquisitions directly enable the operational integrity of national research facilities and the continuity of USDA’s scientific infrastructure. Coulter maintains consistent working relationships with key vendors including Lab Leasing Co. of Stevensville, MD, and Boh Environmental, L.L.C., who provide specialized laboratory support, environmental compliance services, and equipment maintenance. Her procurement approach emphasizes long-term vendor collaboration, particularly with firms possessing technical expertise in analytical instrumentation and agricultural research logistics. She prioritizes responsive, reliable partners capable of delivering customized solutions for complex scientific environments. Her contracting patterns reflect a balanced commitment to socioeconomic goals, with half of her acquisitions set aside for small businesses under FAR 19.5, and the other half open to all competitors. This dual strategy ensures both competitive pricing and robust participation from small, disadvantaged, and community-based vendors, reinforcing USDA’s broader equity and innovation objectives. Coulter’s primary NAICS focus areas include 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing), 112910 (Apiculture), and 811310 (Commercial and Industrial Machinery Repair), reflecting her deep specialization in procuring precision research tools, beekeeping infrastructure, and maintenance services for agricultural equipment. She routinely sources specialized hardware such as mass spectrometers, soil analyzers, and field-ready sensors, demonstrating advanced technical fluency in life sciences procurement and the unique demands of USDA’s research ecosystem.