Sherri Mitchell, Contract Specialist

Sherri Mitchell serves as a key procurement lead within the Lewis & Clark National Forest, overseeing acquisitions critical to maintaining and modernizing the agency’s infrastructure and operational capabilities. Her work directly supports the U.S. Forest Service’s mission to sustain forest ecosystems through targeted facility upgrades, trail and road maintenance, and visitor safety enhancements. She manages a diverse portfolio of construction and specialty trade contracts, ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while aligning expenditures with strategic resource conservation goals. Her acquisitions typically involve civil engineering, roofing, and heavy construction services essential to preserving public access and ecological integrity across federal lands. Mitchell cultivates strong working relationships with a broad base of qualified contractors, particularly those with proven expertise in remote-site construction and environmental compliance. She regularly engages with small business vendors capable of delivering high-quality, scalable solutions under challenging terrain and weather conditions. Her procurement approach emphasizes vendor reliability, safety record, and ability to meet stringent environmental standards, fostering long-term partnerships with firms experienced in federal land management contexts. A staunch advocate for small business participation, Mitchell consistently prioritizes set-asides under FAR 19.5, with nearly half of her acquisitions reserved exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and other small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to increase economic opportunity for underserved entrepreneurs while ensuring a robust, competitive vendor pool. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a strong commitment to socioeconomic equity and workforce development within rural and forest-adjacent communities. Her primary technical focus lies in NAICS categories 238990, 237990, 237310, and 238160, corresponding to specialty trade contracting, heavy civil engineering, highway and bridge construction, and roofing services. She procures complex infrastructure solutions including trail stabilization, erosion control structures, visitor center renovations, and forest road rehabilitation—requiring deep familiarity with federal environmental regulations, sustainable construction practices, and wilderness-compatible engineering standards.