Valerie Mancias

Valerie Mancias serves as a key procurement lead within the FA7000 10 Cons Lgc unit of the Department of the Air Force, supporting the U.S. Air Force Academy’s mission to advance aerospace research and cadet technical training. She manages the acquisition of precision instrumentation, laboratory-grade analytical equipment, and specialized technical systems critical to maintaining operational readiness and scientific integrity. Her portfolio focuses on high-accuracy measuring devices, flight simulation peripherals, and mission-critical data acquisition systems, ensuring that training environments remain aligned with current aerospace engineering standards and research benchmarks. Mancias maintains consistent working relationships with a focused group of specialized vendors, including SAWASAWA LLC, BERNARD CAP, LLC, TEAL DRONES INC, BRANSCOME OPERATING, LLC, and LAVISION, INC. These contractors provide advanced instrumentation, unmanned aerial systems for training applications, and high-resolution flow visualization equipment. Her contracting approach emphasizes technical specificity, often requiring vendors to demonstrate validated performance metrics and compliance with military-grade calibration standards, fostering long-term partnerships built on technical reliability and regulatory adherence. Her procurement strategy reflects a balanced commitment to socioeconomic objectives, with approximately half of her awards issued under 8(a) competed set-asides and the other half as full and open competitions. This pattern demonstrates a deliberate effort to integrate qualified small businesses—particularly those with niche technical capabilities—while preserving competitive integrity for mission-critical procurements. Mancias’s primary NAICS focus is split evenly between Flight Training (611512) and Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services (511210), reflecting her dual emphasis on hands-on cadet instruction and the digital infrastructure supporting flight data analytics and simulation environments. She routinely procures flight simulators, real-time telemetry systems, and cloud-based training data platforms, underscoring her expertise in integrating advanced avionics and digital learning ecosystems within a defense education context.