Sarah E. Tarpgaard

Sarah P. Tarpgaard serves as a Contract Specialist within the 693JJ3 Acquisition and Grants Management unit of the Federal Highway Administration, where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurements that advance the nation’s transportation infrastructure. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for engineering services, transportation research, and operational consulting, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and the agency’s mission to enhance highway safety, resilience, and innovation through data-driven solutions. Her work directly supports the procurement of technical expertise critical to infrastructure design, performance analysis, and systems optimization. Tarpgaard maintains longstanding relationships with key contractors including K & M Transportation Services LLC and the University of California, Los Angeles, reflecting a consistent pattern of engagement with both private-sector transportation consultants and leading academic research institutions. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical rigor, and long-term partnerships that deliver high-value, mission-critical services. She frequently collaborates with vendors possessing deep domain expertise in transportation systems, traffic modeling, and infrastructure analytics. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strong preference for open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside categories. This indicates a focus on selecting the most technically qualified offerors regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing capability and past performance over programmatic preferences. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her acquisitions remain fully compliant with all federal small business participation goals. Tarpgaard’s primary NAICS focus areas include Engineering Services (541330), Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541990), and Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (541712), underscoring her specialization in procuring advanced technical services for highway system planning, safety research, and operational consulting. Her work consistently supports the acquisition of analytical tools, simulation models, and expert advisory services that inform federal transportation policy and infrastructure investment decisions.