Thao M. Ly

Thao M. Ly serves as a Contract Officer for the SFLC Procurement Branch 2 (70Z085) within the U.S. Coast Guard, where she manages the acquisition lifecycle for critical shipbuilding, repair, and maintenance contracts essential to sustaining the Coast Guard’s fleet of cutters and maritime vessels. Her work directly supports operational readiness across coastal, offshore, and open-ocean missions by ensuring timely delivery of naval infrastructure upgrades and lifecycle support services. She specializes in complex, high-stakes procurements governed by FAR Part 13 and Part 15, often involving technical specifications for hull fabrication, propulsion system integration, and corrosion-resistant coatings. Ly maintains consistent working relationships with key industrial partners including ROLLS-ROYCE SOLUTIONS AMERICA INC, VIGOR MARINE LLC, JAG INDUSTRIAL SERVICES, INC, G I INDUSTRIAL-MARINE, LLC, and L1 ENTERPRISES INCORPORATED. These contractors provide specialized shipyard services, marine mechanical systems, and vessel modernization expertise, reflecting a preference for established Tier-1 and Tier-2 maritime industrial vendors with proven track records in naval fabrication and repair. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and supply chain resilience. A strong advocate for small business participation, Ly consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with over half of her portfolio reserved for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to foster competition and expand capacity within the maritime industrial base, aligning with federal socioeconomic goals without compromising mission-critical requirements. Her contracting patterns show minimal use of other set-aside categories, focusing instead on broad small business eligibility. Her procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 336611—Ship Building and Repairing—encompassing new construction, dry-docking, structural refits, and propulsion system overhauls. She possesses deep technical familiarity with naval architecture standards, Coast Guard vessel specifications, and marine engineering requirements, ensuring all acquisitions meet stringent safety, durability, and interoperability benchmarks for federal maritime operations.