Velma I Maestas

Velma I. Maestas serves as a Purchasing Agent at NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound, where she plays a critical role in securing mission-critical marine engineering systems, structural components, and industrial maintenance services essential to the readiness of U.S. Navy surface and submarine fleets. She manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for precision-fabricated hardware, mechanical systems, and fabricated metal components, ensuring compliance with Department of Defense acquisition regulations and operational timelines. Her work directly supports the sustainment and modernization of naval vessels through timely, compliant, and technically sound contract awards. Maestas maintains longstanding partnerships with key contractors including Timken Gears & Services Inc., Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corp, Bellingham Marine Industries, Inc., Palfinger Marine USA, LLC, and Jered LLC. These relationships reflect a focus on specialized vendors capable of delivering high-integrity marine-grade components, electro-mechanical systems, and heavy fabrication services tailored to naval environments. Her procurement approach emphasizes vendor reliability, technical capability, and adherence to military specifications, fostering collaborative, performance-driven supplier engagements. A strong advocate for small business participation, Maestas consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with over 69% of her awards designated for small businesses. This reflects a deliberate strategy to expand access for qualified small manufacturers and service providers, aligning with DoD socioeconomic goals while maintaining rigorous quality standards. Her contracting patterns demonstrate a sustained commitment to fostering a diverse, capable small business industrial base within the maritime supply chain. Her primary NAICS focus areas include 333992 (welding and soldering equipment manufacturing), 332919 (other metal valve and pipe fitting manufacturing), and 332311 (prefabricated metal building and component manufacturing), indicating deep expertise in procuring industrial-grade metal fabrication, precision valves, and structural components. She specializes in sourcing mission-critical hardware for shipboard systems, emphasizing durability, corrosion resistance, and compliance with naval engineering standards.