Tanisha Howard

Tanisha Howard supports the FA8121 office within the Department of the Air Force in managing critical procurement activities for advanced aircraft propulsion systems, with a primary focus on sustaining and modernizing the F100 engine series and related flight-critical components. She oversees the acquisition of turbine engine parts, overhaul services, and auxiliary systems essential to maintaining operational readiness of fighter and bomber fleets. Her responsibilities include soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts under FAR and DFARS frameworks, ensuring compliance with technical specifications and mission-critical performance standards for high-stress aerospace environments. Howard maintains strategic relationships with leading defense contractors including Ferrotherm Corp, Woodward HRT Inc, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, and RTX Corporation, which provide specialized engineering, precision machining, thermal coating, and propulsion system integration services. These partnerships are characterized by long-term, performance-based contracting models that emphasize reliability, technical innovation, and supply chain resilience for mission-essential components. Her procurement approach prioritizes technical excellence and lifecycle support, often leveraging indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) and cost-reimbursement contract types. Her contracting portfolio reflects a balanced approach to socioeconomic goals, with approximately 28.6% of awards designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a consistent commitment to small business participation without reliance on specialized set-aside programs like 8(a) or HUBZone. The majority of acquisitions are competed broadly, ensuring market viability while maintaining rigorous technical oversight. Howard’s expertise centers on NAICS 336412 (Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing), with additional focus on 811210 (Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance) and 336413 (Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing). She procures high-precision turbine blades, combustion liners, fuel control units, and diagnostic support systems, requiring deep technical understanding of metallurgy, thermal barrier coatings, and aerospace propulsion dynamics.