Capt Rheesa Paluay

Rheesa A. Paluay serves as a Contract Officer within the FA2550 50 Cons Pkp unit of the Department of the Air Force, responsible for managing the acquisition of mission-critical aerospace and space systems. Her portfolio centers on procuring advanced communications infrastructure, electronic testing instrumentation, and data processing services essential to national defense space operations. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring timely delivery of secure, high-performance systems that sustain satellite telecommunications, ground-based command and control networks, and precision electronic capabilities. Her acquisitions are strategically aligned with modernization priorities in the space domain, requiring deep technical understanding of defense-grade IT and electronics procurement. Paluay’s contractor relationships are primarily with firms providing computing infrastructure, custom software development, and electronic manufacturing services. While her most frequent partners include Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and Blue Skies Furniture LLC, these reflect administrative or non-core procurement activities; her operational focus remains on technology vendors delivering secure, mission-aligned solutions. She maintains a disciplined vendor engagement process, prioritizing technical capability, compliance with defense standards, and performance reliability over volume-based contracting. Her set-aside preferences reflect a balanced approach to socioeconomic contracting, with nearly 43% of awards designated for total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and 14.3% reserved for HUBZone firms. Although the majority of her contracts are unrestricted, her consistent use of small business set-asides demonstrates a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for qualified disadvantaged and geographically targeted vendors within the defense technology ecosystem. Paluay’s primary NAICS focus lies in 518210 (computing infrastructure and data hosting), 541511 (custom computer programming), and 334111 (electronic computer manufacturing). She specializes in procuring secure cloud-enabled systems, embedded software solutions, and hardened electronic components used in space and airborne platforms. Her technical expertise spans defense IT architecture, cybersecurity-compliant data systems, and mission-critical instrumentation, positioning her as a key liaison between operational requirements and commercial technology innovation.