Sommer Starr

Sommer Starr serves as a Contracting Officer for Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a unique component of the U.S. Department of Justice, where she manages the acquisition of goods and services produced by incarcerated individuals as part of FPI’s rehabilitation-through-industry mission. Her role encompasses the full lifecycle of procurement—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal regulations while advancing FPI’s strategic goal of providing vocational training and reducing federal procurement costs through in-house production. She primarily handles acquisitions for manufactured consumer and institutional goods, with a focus on products that align with FPI’s statutory authority under 18 U.S.C. § 4121. Starr maintains long-standing relationships with a select group of specialized contractors, including Veterans Range Solutions, LLC, Krueger International, Inc., Veterans Environmental Group, LLC, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and Nightingale Corp. These partnerships reflect a deliberate alignment with mission-driven organizations that share FPI’s commitment to social impact, workforce development, and operational efficiency. Her contracting approach emphasizes collaboration with vendors capable of supporting complex logistics, quality assurance, and compliance with federal labor and safety standards. A defining feature of Starr’s procurement strategy is her exclusive use of Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, ensuring that all solicitations are reserved for small business concerns. This reflects a robust and consistent commitment to socioeconomic contracting, prioritizing small business participation as a core pillar of FPI’s operational integrity and mission alignment. Her technical expertise is narrowly focused on NAICS 311119—Other Animal Food Manufacturing—where she oversees the procurement of pet food, livestock feed, and related animal nutrition products manufactured by FPI’s inmate workforce. This specialization underscores her deep familiarity with food safety regulations, packaging standards, and supply chain logistics for regulated consumable goods, making her a key steward of FPI’s niche but mission-critical manufacturing portfolio.