Terry K Kiele

Terry K. Kiele serves as a Contracting Officer at the Forest Products Laboratory, a research arm of the U.S. Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, where they oversee the acquisition of specialized scientific, technical, and logistical services to advance wood and fiber-based material innovation. Responsible for full lifecycle contract management, Kiele ensures procurement activities align with the Laboratory’s mission to develop sustainable, high-performance wood products and non-destructive testing methodologies. Their portfolio primarily includes research support, analytical instrumentation, and technical consulting services critical to materials science and forest resource management, with a focus on compliance with federal acquisition regulations and scientific integrity standards. While specific contractor names are not publicly identifiable, Kiele maintains consistent working relationships with vendors offering advanced materials testing equipment, laboratory automation systems, and research support services. Partnerships tend to be long-term and collaborative, emphasizing technical expertise, quality assurance, and adaptability to evolving research protocols. Vendor engagement often involves pre-solicitation outreach and technical evaluations to ensure solutions meet the unique demands of forest products research. Kiele demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with 34.1% of acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While no other socioeconomic categories are dominant, the consistent use of small business set-asides reflects a deliberate strategy to foster innovation from niche suppliers and regional providers with specialized capabilities in scientific instrumentation and technical services. The primary NAICS focus areas—particularly 488190, 481211, and 481212—reveal an unusual but strategic emphasis on air transportation support services, likely tied to the logistical needs of field research, sample transport, and mobile testing units across remote forest regions. Additional procurement in 336411 and 532411 indicates acquisition of specialized equipment and leasing arrangements for aircraft and testing platforms, underscoring Kiele’s expertise in procuring complex, mission-critical technical assets beyond traditional laboratory supplies.