Sara Van Gorder

Sara Van Gorder serves as a Contract Specialist at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center under the Department of the Navy, where she plays a pivotal role in executing acquisition strategies that sustain and modernize naval surface platforms and shore-based infrastructure. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for critical industrial and technical services, including facilities support, mechanical subsystems, and specialized engineering solutions essential to fleet readiness. Her acquisitions span complex contract types, from firm-fixed-price to cost-reimbursement instruments, ensuring compliance with federal regulations and Navy-specific requirements while aligning with strategic maintenance and modernization goals. Van Gorder maintains consistent working relationships with key contractors including Fairlead Boatworks, Inc., General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., Howard W. Pence, Inc., and Kampi Components Co., Inc., reflecting a preference for established industry partners with proven expertise in naval maintenance, structural systems, and technical support services. Her contracting patterns emphasize reliability, technical capability, and past performance, fostering long-term vendor partnerships that support mission-critical shipyard operations and infrastructure sustainment. Her procurement portfolio demonstrates a strong orientation toward open competition, with 71.4% of awards issued without set-aside designations; however, she actively supports small business participation through 8(a) competed contracts, which account for 28.6% of her awards. This balanced approach ensures market competitiveness while fulfilling statutory obligations to promote socioeconomic diversity in the defense industrial base. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Facilities Support Services (561210), Administrative Management Consulting (541611), Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Overhead Crane Manufacturing (333923), and Plumbing and HVAC Contracting (238220). These reflect her specialization in procuring integrated industrial services that support shipyard operations, workforce training, and the maintenance of heavy mechanical systems critical to naval vessel integrity and operational continuity.