Tonia D Ellen

Tonia D. Ellen serves as a Contract Specialist within the Federal Prison Industries (FPI), a mission-driven component of the U.S. Department of Justice. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions to acquire goods and services produced by incarcerated individuals, aligning acquisitions with FPI’s mandate to provide vocational training and rehabilitation through industry. Her work centers on soliciting, evaluating, and awarding contracts for manufactured products and support services, ensuring compliance with the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act and federal acquisition regulations. She routinely handles complex, non-competitive acquisitions under the FPI program, balancing statutory requirements with operational needs across federal agencies. Tonia maintains longstanding relationships with key contractors including Veterans Range Solutions, LLC, Krueger International, Inc., Veterans Environmental Group, LLC, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, and Nightingale Corp. These partnerships reflect a preference for nonprofit agencies and social enterprises that align with FPI’s rehabilitative mission, often serving as suppliers of textiles, fasteners, and environmental services. Her contracting approach emphasizes reliability, quality, and mission compatibility over price alone, fostering collaborative, long-term vendor engagements grounded in shared public service goals. Her procurement patterns show a strong preference for non-set-aside acquisitions, with 91.7% of awards issued without socioeconomic set-asides, reflecting FPI’s statutory authority to operate as a sole-source provider. The remaining 8.3% are awarded under Total Small Business Set-Asides, indicating a measured but intentional engagement with small businesses that meet FPI’s unique supply chain needs, particularly when external sourcing is required. Tonia’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 339993 (Fastener, Button, Needle, and Pin Manufacturing) and 313230 (Nonwoven Fabric Mills), reflecting FPI’s core production capabilities in industrial textiles and hardware components. She also manages acquisitions in broadwoven fabrics, industrial machinery distribution, and specialized computer services, demonstrating technical expertise in manufacturing supply chains and institutional procurement for federal facilities.