Rita K. Berry

Rita K. Berry serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Oceanographic Office (N62306), where she plays a pivotal role in executing acquisitions that support critical oceanographic and geospatial intelligence missions. She manages complex procurements for advanced sensing systems, data processing infrastructure, and specialized instrumentation essential to naval navigation, undersea warfare, and maritime domain awareness. Her work directly enables the agency’s strategic priorities in real-time environmental modeling and undersea surveillance, ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities through compliant, risk-managed contracting practices. While specific contractor names are not publicly available, Berry consistently engages with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in defense-grade hardware and software solutions. Her procurement patterns reflect collaborative relationships with both large systems integrators and niche technology providers, particularly those capable of delivering secure, field-deployable oceanographic sensors and high-performance computing platforms. She prioritizes vendors with proven expertise in defense standards and environmental data interoperability, fostering long-term partnerships that align with the Navy’s operational tempo and technical requirements. Berry demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 84% of her acquisitions conducted as unrestricted competitions and 16% reserved for small business categories. Notably, 11% of her awards are set aside for Total Small Business, and 5% specifically target Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses, reflecting a deliberate effort to expand opportunities for qualified small firms while maintaining mission readiness. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS codes related to nautical and aerospace instrumentation (334511, 334519), custom computer programming (541511), and computing infrastructure services (518210). She routinely acquires underwater sensor arrays, real-time data processing systems, geospatial modeling tools, and secure cloud-enabled data platforms—technologies foundational to the Navy’s ability to operate effectively in complex maritime environments.