Sara Sopiars

Sara Sopiars serves as the primary contracting lead for the Telecommunications Division (HC1013) within the Defense Information Systems Agency, where she oversees the acquisition of secure, high-capacity telecommunications infrastructure critical to Department of Defense global operations. Her role centers on procuring resilient network solutions that modernize legacy systems, deploy encrypted virtual private networks, and ensure interoperability across military and federal endpoints. She manages a diverse portfolio of contract actions under FAR Part 12 and Part 13, focusing on commercial-off-the-shelf telecom services and integrated network support, aligning acquisitions with DISA’s mission to sustain and expand secure communications for expeditionary and fixed-site operations. Sopiars maintains consistent working relationships with key vendors including AT&T Technical Services Company, Inc., Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, Liberty Communications, Inc., AOC Connect LLC, and Norfolk Fiber, LLC. These partnerships reflect a preference for established providers with proven capabilities in fiber optic deployment, managed IP services, and secure telecom reselling. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, SLA-driven deliverables, and vendor accountability in maintaining mission-critical uptime and cybersecurity compliance. Her procurement strategy is heavily weighted toward small business participation, with 92.3% of her acquisitions structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate and sustained commitment to fostering competition among small telecom providers, ensuring equitable access to defense contracts and promoting innovation from niche market entrants. Socioeconomic goals are central to her acquisition planning, with a strong emphasis on enabling small business growth within the national security telecom ecosystem. Sopiars’ technical focus is concentrated in NAICS 517121 (Telecommunications Resellers), accounting for 92.3% of her activity, with secondary emphasis on NAICS 517111 (Wired Telecommunications Carriers). She procures managed bandwidth services, secure circuit provisioning, SD-WAN solutions, and fiber-based connectivity services that support DoD’s transition to software-defined and cloud-enabled communications architectures. Her expertise lies in evaluating technical compliance with DoD Information Network standards and ensuring vendor adherence to NIST and CNSSI security frameworks.