Tara N. White

Tara N. White serves as a key procurement lead within the FA8773 Acc 38 Cons agency under the Department of the Air Force, specializing in the acquisition of mission-critical cyber and space systems supporting Air Force readiness. Her role centers on managing complex contract actions for advanced IT infrastructure, secure communications platforms, and specialized aerospace components essential to high-tempo cyberspace and space operations. She oversees the full lifecycle of procurements—from requirements validation through contract award and performance management—ensuring alignment with DoD cybersecurity standards and mission assurance frameworks. Her acquisitions directly enable the training, sustainment, and operational deployment of personnel in sensitive computing environments. White maintains a primary working relationship with Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, LLC, a trusted vendor providing specialized aircraft subsystems and embedded systems critical to secure mission platforms. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for established industry partners with proven technical credibility in defense aerospace and integrated systems, often engaging vendors capable of rapid prototyping, ruggedized hardware integration, and compliance with MIL-STD and NIST cybersecurity controls. She frequently collaborates with contractors possessing ITAR and EAR compliance certifications to support classified and controlled technology transfers. Her procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 84.6% of awards issued under non-set-aside authorities, reflecting a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic preferences. However, she consistently allocates 15.4% of opportunities to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured commitment to small business participation without compromising mission-critical performance requirements. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 336413, targeting other aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment, particularly secure avionics and mission-specific hardware. She also regularly acquires engineering services (541330) and computer systems design (541512) to support cyber infrastructure modernization, secure network architectures, and facility-level IT sustainment for sensitive operations centers. Her technical domain expertise spans aerospace integration, cyber-physical systems, and mission-enabling IT infrastructure for space and cyberspace domains.