Traci Newsom

Traci Newsom serves as a Contract Specialist with the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command (N40446), where she manages the acquisition lifecycle for critical maintenance, repair, and modernization services supporting the U.S. Navy’s non-combatant fleet. Her role centers on ensuring the operational readiness of auxiliary vessels through the procurement of engineering support, propulsion system upgrades, and marine infrastructure enhancements. She executes complex contracts under FAR and DFARS guidelines, specializing in service-based acquisitions that require technical oversight of maritime systems, including environmental control, electrical integration, and industrial valve systems. Newsom’s work directly supports the agency’s mission to sustain seaworthiness and mission-critical functionality across the Military Sealift Command’s global fleet. While specific contractor names are not disclosed, Newsom routinely engages with a diverse pool of vendors specializing in commercial and industrial machinery repair, shipyard services, and marine HVAC systems. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for experienced industrial contractors with proven capabilities in naval vessel support, often requiring ISO-certified quality systems and Navy-specific compliance credentials. She fosters collaborative relationships with vendors capable of delivering rapid turnaround on time-sensitive maintenance events and complex retrofit projects, ensuring minimal disruption to fleet deployment cycles. Newsom’s procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 87% of acquisitions conducted as unrestricted awards. However, she maintains a deliberate and consistent focus on small business participation, allocating 13% of her portfolio to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a proactive commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses with relevant maritime technical expertise, though she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides. Her primary NAICS focus areas include Commercial and Industrial Machinery Repair (811310) and Ship Building and Repairing (336611), underscoring her technical domain expertise in propulsion maintenance, hull integrity upgrades, and electrical system retrofits. She also frequently procures services under Electrical Contracting (238210), Industrial Valve Manufacturing (332911), and Marine HVAC (333415), demonstrating deep familiarity with the specialized engineering requirements of naval auxiliary vessels.