Rita S. Brooks

Rita S. Brooks serves as a Contract Specialist within the W2R2 Construction Engineering Labor agency under the Department of the Army, where she manages complex procurement actions supporting advanced military engineering research and infrastructure resilience. Her role encompasses the full lifecycle of acquisition activities—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—focusing primarily on technical services that enhance the precision, durability, and performance of defense-critical construction systems. She specializes in procuring high-value engineering research, custom software development, and specialized laboratory instrumentation, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and mission-driven technical requirements. Brooks maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of high-caliber contractors, including L1 Enterprises Incorporated, the University of Hawaii, Interphase Materials, Inc., the University of Illinois, and Axias Inc. These partnerships reflect a preference for institutions and firms with demonstrated expertise in physical and engineering sciences, custom programming, and technical training. Her contracting patterns emphasize long-term, performance-based engagements with entities capable of delivering innovative, mission-critical solutions under stringent operational conditions, often requiring specialized certifications and technical validation. Her set-aside preferences are overwhelmingly aligned with open competition, with 97.4% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides, reflecting the specialized, non-traditional nature of the agency’s requirements. Only 2.6% of awards are structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, indicating a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic categorization, though she remains attentive to qualified small business participation when it aligns with mission needs. Brooks’ procurement portfolio is dominated by NAICS 541511 (Custom Computer Programming Services), reflecting a heavy reliance on tailored software systems for data acquisition and engineering analysis. She also frequently procures research and development services under NAICS 541715 and 541712, alongside professional training under 611430. Her technical domain expertise centers on advanced instrumentation, measurement systems, and computational modeling for military infrastructure, making her a key liaison between engineering teams and contract execution.