Sarah J. Huwig-Leister

Sarah J. Huwig-Leister serves as a Contract Specialist within the Preparedness SECTION (PRE20) of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she plays a critical role in executing acquisitions that bolster national resilience and operational readiness. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring alignment with FAR guidelines and FEMA’s mission to strengthen incident management frameworks and emergency response capacity. Her portfolio primarily supports administrative, logistical, and workforce development services essential to sustaining high-functioning emergency systems during complex disasters. Huwig-Leister cultivates collaborative relationships with a diverse range of vendors, particularly those offering professional organizational services, social advocacy support, and food service solutions for emergency operations. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently engages with firms capable of delivering scalable, mission-critical support under time-sensitive conditions. Her working relationships emphasize responsiveness, compliance, and adaptability, favoring vendors with proven experience in federal emergency contexts and robust performance histories. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 86.5% of acquisitions conducted without set-asides. However, she actively promotes small business participation, allocating 13.5% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic inclusion without compromising mission needs. Huwig-Leister’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 813920 (Professional Organizations), where she acquires technical assistance and capacity-building services, followed by NAICS 813319 (Social Advocacy Organizations) for community engagement and outreach support. She also procures food service contracts (722310) and educational support services (611710) to sustain emergency workforce readiness. Her domain expertise centers on non-technical, mission-enabling services that underpin the operational infrastructure of federal emergency response systems.