Vicki Knepp

Vicki Knepp serves as a Contracting Officer Representative for the Southern Research Station within the U.S. Forest Service’s Department of Agriculture, where she provides critical oversight and administrative support for acquisition actions aligned with the Station’s mission of advancing ecological research and sustainable forest management. In this role, she ensures contractual compliance, monitors contractor performance, and facilitates communication between technical teams and contracting officers, particularly for facility maintenance and operational support contracts. Her portfolio is centered on field infrastructure sustainment, environmental compliance, and janitorial services essential to maintaining the integrity of remote research sites across the Southern region. Ms. Knepp maintains a consistent working relationship with LSG Management, LLC, the primary contractor supporting the Station’s facility operations. Her procurement pattern reflects a trusted, long-term vendor partnership built on reliability, adherence to federal standards, and responsiveness to the unique logistical demands of rural research infrastructure. She collaborates closely with technical specialists to define performance metrics and ensure contractor deliverables meet the operational needs of field scientists and conservation personnel. Her contracting activity is fully aligned with small business set-aside preferences, with 100% of her acquisitions designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate and unwavering commitment to fostering economic opportunity among small businesses, particularly those capable of delivering high-quality, mission-critical support services in environmentally sensitive locations. Ms. Knepp’s procurement focus is exclusively on NAICS 561720—Janitorial Services—supporting the cleaning, waste management, and sanitation needs of field laboratories, visitor centers, and research stations. Her expertise lies in ensuring these services are delivered in compliance with federal environmental regulations and site-specific ecological protections, making her a key enabler of operational readiness for the Southern Research Station’s scientific mission.