Valerie Ballard

Valerie Ballard serves as a Contract Specialist at the Naval Oceanographic Office (N62306), where she plays a pivotal role in executing mission-critical acquisitions that support oceanographic intelligence, maritime domain awareness, and undersea warfare capabilities. She manages the full lifecycle of procurements for specialized sensing systems, geospatial instrumentation, and environmental modeling tools essential to naval operational readiness. Her work directly enables the agency’s ability to deliver real-time oceanic and seabed data across global theaters, ensuring safe navigation and tactical superiority in contested maritime environments. Valerie collaborates with a diverse array of contractors, primarily focused on manufacturers of precision nautical and navigation systems, heavy-gauge metal fabrication firms, and industrial service providers supporting specialized equipment maintenance. While specific vendor names are not publicly disclosed, her contracting patterns reflect consistent engagement with technical vendors possessing niche expertise in defense-grade instrumentation and ruggedized environmental monitoring systems. She fosters collaborative, compliance-driven relationships grounded in FAR adherence and performance-based acquisition strategies. A strong advocate for small business participation, Valerie consistently prioritizes small business set-asides, with 64.3% of her acquisitions designated for total small business contracts under FAR 19.5. Her procurement portfolio reflects a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic programs, regularly awarding contracts to small disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone firms, and other eligible small entities that bring innovative, cost-effective solutions to complex oceanographic challenges. Her primary NAICS focus includes Search, Detection, Navigation, and Nautical System Manufacturing (334511), reflecting her specialization in acquiring advanced sonar, hydrographic sensors, and guidance systems. She also procures heavy-gauge metal tanks (332420) for environmental containment, specialized industrial laundering services (812332) for mission-critical gear, and other precision measuring devices (334519). Valerie’s expertise lies at the intersection of defense engineering and environmental science, ensuring that acquisitions align with the Navy’s operational need for resilient, high-accuracy oceanographic systems.