Rolanda Pickett

Rolanda Pickett serves as a Contract Specialist at the MDC Los Angeles under the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where she manages the acquisition of critical food and nutrition services essential to the safe, secure, and humane operation of federal correctional facilities. Her responsibilities include planning, soliciting, awarding, and administering contracts for subsistence supplies that meet stringent dietary, safety, and nutritional compliance standards. She specializes in procuring bulk food products and distribution services aligned with federal food service regulations, ensuring operational continuity and adherence to USDA and FDA guidelines within the correctional environment. Pickett’s contracting portfolio is primarily supported by a diverse network of small business vendors, with the majority of awards flowing to firms participating in small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While she maintains relationships with a broad base of suppliers, her procurement strategy emphasizes collaboration with specialized food manufacturers, grocery wholesalers, and meat processors who can meet the unique volume, safety, and logistical demands of institutional feeding programs. Her working relationships reflect a preference for vendors with proven capacity for consistent delivery, traceability, and dietary accommodation. A strong advocate for socioeconomic inclusion, Pickett consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides, with approximately 77% of her awards designated for small businesses under FAR 19.5. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for small, disadvantaged, and locally based suppliers within the food supply chain, aligning with broader Department of Justice and OMB goals for equitable procurement. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 311999 (Miscellaneous Food Manufacturing) and 424410 (Grocery Merchant Wholesalers), reflecting her expertise in sourcing prepared meals, shelf-stable provisions, and fresh meat products processed from carcasses. She possesses deep technical knowledge of institutional food safety protocols, allergen controls, and nutritional compliance frameworks, ensuring all contracted goods meet federal correctional dietary standards.