Virgil O. Hightower

Virgil O. Hightower serves as a Contract Specialist at the W6RN USA Geospatial Center, a critical component of the Department of the Army responsible for delivering advanced geospatial intelligence and mapping capabilities to support operational decision-making across land, air, and cyber domains. In this role, he manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for geospatial technologies, including procurement of high-resolution 3D terrain modeling software, real-time geospatial data platforms, and mission-critical mapping systems. His work ensures the timely delivery of precision geospatial tools essential to battlefield awareness and military planning, aligning procurement strategy with the agency’s mission to sustain cutting-edge geospatial enterprise capabilities. While specific contractor relationships are not publicly enumerated, Hightower maintains a consistent engagement with vendors specializing in geospatial data analytics, remote sensing, and defense-grade mapping solutions. He fosters collaborative partnerships with both established defense contractors and innovative small businesses, ensuring technical excellence while promoting competition and innovation within the geospatial industry. His procurement approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and adherence to federal acquisition regulations. Hightower demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 66.7% of his acquisitions designated as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This reflects a deliberate strategy to prioritize small business participation, including 8(a), HUBZone, and SDVOSB firms, to cultivate a diverse supplier base capable of meeting the technical demands of modern geospatial operations. His contracting patterns consistently reinforce the Army’s goal of empowering small businesses as vital contributors to national defense innovation. His procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 511210—Software Publishers specializing in geospatial software and data services. He procures advanced geospatial information systems, terrain analysis platforms, photogrammetric tools, and geospatial data integration services, demonstrating deep expertise in the technical requirements of military mapping, imagery exploitation, and real-time geospatial situational awareness systems.