Tatea R Cavanaugh

Tatea L. Cavanaugh serves as a Contracting Officer for Federal Prison Industries (Unicor), a U.S. Department of Justice entity dedicated to providing vocational training and meaningful employment to incarcerated individuals through the production of goods and services for federal agencies. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation to award and contract administration—ensuring compliance with FAR, DFARS, and Unicor’s unique statutory authorities. Her acquisitions primarily support the agency’s mission of rehabilitation through industry, focusing on manufactured products that meet federal operational needs while fostering workforce development among inmate laborers. Cavanaugh maintains longstanding relationships with a select group of established contractors, including VETERANS RANGE SOLUTIONS, LLC, KRUEGER INTERNATIONAL, INC., and BLIND INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES OF MARYLAND, among others. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with demonstrated capacity in industrial manufacturing, particularly those aligned with mission-critical supply chains for federal facilities. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, quality control, and adherence to federal labor standards, often leveraging long-term blanket purchase agreements and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to ensure continuity of supply. Her procurement strategy prioritizes non-set-aside acquisitions, with 72.8% of awards issued under full and open competition, while still maintaining a robust 27.2% commitment to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Though she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her consistent use of small business contractors reflects a broader commitment to socioeconomic inclusion through competitive, performance-based sourcing. Cavanaugh’s technical expertise centers on manufacturing sectors including NAICS 337214 (Office Furniture), 322211 (Corrugated Box Manufacturing), and 321211 (Hardwood Veneer and Plywood), with additional focus on urethane foam and miscellaneous wood products. She specializes in procuring durable, high-volume industrial goods that support federal infrastructure, logistics, and institutional operations, demonstrating deep familiarity with material specifications, production scalability, and quality assurance protocols in light industrial supply chains.