Valerie Ates

Valerie Ates serves as a key procurement lead within the FA4419 agency of the Department of the Air Force, responsible for managing acquisitions that sustain and modernize critical air base infrastructure and aircraft maintenance systems. Her work directly supports operational readiness by ensuring reliable logistical and technical support for aerospace platforms and facility utilities. She routinely handles complex service contracts under FAR Part 12 and Part 37, focusing on maintenance, repair, and facility systems integration. Her acquisitions are mission-critical, requiring strict compliance with Air Force installation standards and environmental regulations, and she operates within a framework that prioritizes mission continuity and long-term asset sustainability. Her primary contractor relationship is with Coordinated Defense Supply Systems, Inc., a trusted vendor with demonstrated expertise in industrial machinery repair and facility services for defense installations. Ates consistently engages this contractor for high-priority, mission-essential maintenance tasks, indicating a preference for established, performance-proven partners with deep technical familiarity with Air Force infrastructure. Her contracting patterns reflect a reliance on proven vendors while maintaining flexibility to incorporate new entrants under small business set-asides when appropriate. A significant portion of her portfolio—20%—is allocated to Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding small business participation without compromising mission requirements. While the majority of her acquisitions are open competition, she actively leverages socioeconomic programs to foster vendor diversity, particularly among businesses capable of delivering industrial maintenance and building services aligned with Air Force sustainment goals. Her procurement focus is overwhelmingly centered on NAICS 811310 for commercial and industrial machinery repair and maintenance, with secondary emphasis on NAICS 561790 for building services. This reflects deep technical expertise in sustaining aircraft support equipment, utility systems, and facility infrastructure, requiring specialized knowledge of mechanical, hydraulic, and environmental control systems critical to air base operations.