Tess M Foster

Tess M. Foster serves as a Contract Specialist within the Department of the Air Force’s FA2517 21 Cons Bldg 350 office, where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical procurements that sustain and modernize defense infrastructure. Her responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of contracts for facility upgrades, electronic systems integration, and fire safety modernization, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and operational readiness requirements. She specializes in complex acquisitions involving technical services, security systems, and construction-related solutions, aligning procurement outcomes with the Air Force’s strategic imperatives for resilient, secure installations. Foster maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of contractors including ASTERI CONSULTING SERVICES LLC, AMD INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC, MCKENZIE CONSTRUCTION & SITE DEVELOPMENT LLC, ARHAB LLC, and PRIMEPRO BUSINESS SOLUTIONS LLC. These partnerships reflect a balanced approach to sourcing both specialized technical expertise and construction services, with an emphasis on vendors capable of delivering integrated solutions for defense-critical environments. Her contracting patterns indicate a preference for established contractors with proven experience in government infrastructure projects and secure systems deployment. Her procurement portfolio reflects a strong commitment to small business participation, with over one-third of awards structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5 and a notable 10.5% dedicated to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) set-asides. While the majority of acquisitions remain open to all competitors, her consistent use of socioeconomic set-asides demonstrates a deliberate effort to expand opportunities for qualified small and veteran-owned firms within the defense supply chain. Foster’s primary industry focus lies in NAICS 561621 (Security Systems Services), NAICS 423410 (Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers), and NAICS 423690 (Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers), reflecting her specialization in procuring surveillance, communication, and electronic infrastructure components. She also regularly manages acquisitions under NAICS 236220 (Commercial and Institutional Building Construction), underscoring her expertise in integrating physical infrastructure upgrades with advanced technical systems to support Air Force operational resilience.