Rita R Bush

Rita R. Bush serves as a Contracting Officer at the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Systems and Experimental Warfare Center, where she manages complex acquisitions supporting advanced maritime research and operational readiness. Her portfolio encompasses engineering, scientific, and technical services critical to the development and testing of experimental warfare technologies, ocean infrastructure, and explosive effects analysis. She ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while facilitating timely delivery of mission-critical capabilities to the Department of the Navy, with a focus on high-technical-risk, R&D-driven procurements that demand specialized expertise and rigorous oversight. Rita maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of high-caliber contractors, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for oceanographic research, Sociedad Española de Montajes Industriales SA for specialized industrial systems, and Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. for environmental remediation solutions. Her partnerships emphasize technical innovation, often involving non-traditional defense vendors and academic institutions with niche capabilities in marine science and environmental engineering. These collaborations reflect a preference for firms with proven experience in classified or sensitive naval environments and a demonstrated capacity for rapid prototyping and field deployment. Her contracting approach prioritizes small business participation, with 40% of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, reflecting a strong commitment to socioeconomic diversity. While no set-aside preferences are applied to the majority of her acquisitions, she actively seeks qualified small businesses with expertise in environmental consulting and advanced materials, aligning with NAVFAC’s mission to broaden the defense industrial base. Rita’s procurement focus is concentrated in three primary NAICS categories: 334220 for wireless communications equipment, 541620 for environmental consulting, and 541712 for physical and engineering R&D. She routinely procures cutting-edge technologies for maritime surveillance, underwater sensing, and explosive hazard mitigation, working closely with vendors possessing specialized credentials in ocean engineering, environmental modeling, and defense-grade communications systems. Her expertise lies at the intersection of scientific innovation and federal acquisition discipline.