T. Renee Hickson

T. Renee Hickson serves as a Contracting Officer for the FLETC Bio-containment Branch Office under the Department of Homeland Security, where she oversees the acquisition of mission-critical infrastructure and technical services essential to national biosecurity. Her portfolio centers on the design, construction, and modernization of high-containment research facilities, including biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories, as well as specialized ventilation, decontamination, and secure waste handling systems. She plays a pivotal role in ensuring that procurement activities align with federal biosecurity standards and support the agency’s mandate to enable resilient, secure environments for the study and mitigation of high-consequence biological threats. Her acquisitions typically involve complex, multi-year projects requiring stringent compliance with CDC, NIH, and USDA biosafety guidelines. Hickson collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of prime contractors and specialized subcontractors, including firms with expertise in federal healthcare infrastructure, engineered containment systems, and hazardous materials handling. She fosters long-term partnerships with vendors possessing proven experience in constructing and certifying BSL-3/4 facilities, often engaging firms with prior DHS or CDC project histories. Her working relationships emphasize technical competency, regulatory adherence, and performance reliability, with a preference for contractors who demonstrate integrated project delivery capabilities and robust quality assurance protocols. While specific set-aside data is not currently available, Hickson actively promotes socioeconomic contracting opportunities consistent with DHS priorities, including participation from 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB firms with relevant technical capabilities. She encourages small business involvement through teaming arrangements and subcontracting plans, ensuring broad access to high-value biocontainment projects while maintaining stringent performance standards. Her primary procurement focus lies within NAICS categories related to architectural and engineering services for specialized facilities (541330), construction of medical and scientific facilities (236220), and specialized equipment manufacturing for biocontainment (333242). She routinely procures advanced HVAC systems, negative pressure containment units, automated decontamination systems, and integrated security and monitoring platforms essential to high-risk biological research environments.