Willard B. Strozier

Willard B. Strozier serves as Director of the SMC Office of Small Business Programs within the FA8823 Sustainment MCPNT SSC/PKL under the Department of the Air Force. In this leadership role, he oversees the integration of small business participation into the agency’s critical aerospace and space sustainment initiatives, ensuring compliance with federal socioeconomic contracting mandates. He guides the procurement strategy for advanced technical systems including guided missile sustainment, satellite communications infrastructure, and global positioning system modernization, aligning acquisition planning with national defense priorities. His office facilitates the development of small business capacity to support high-complexity, mission-critical engineering and R&D efforts essential to maintaining air and space superiority. While specific contractor relationships are not publicly enumerated, Director Strozier’s office engages with a broad spectrum of prime contractors and subcontractors specializing in aerospace systems sustainment, systems engineering, and defense R&D. His team fosters collaborative partnerships with both large defense integrators and emerging technology firms, ensuring that small business capabilities are effectively leveraged within the broader acquisition ecosystem. He promotes transparent, competitive contracting processes that encourage innovation and industrial base resilience across the national security supply chain. Director Strozier maintains a strong, consistent focus on full and open competition, with 100% of his office’s acquisitions designated as no set-aside. This reflects a strategic emphasis on technical merit and mission readiness over socioeconomic categorization, while still actively supporting small business participation through mentorship, subcontracting opportunities, and market research initiatives. His approach ensures that qualified small businesses compete on equal footing within technically demanding procurements. His procurement portfolio is exclusively focused on NAICS 541712—Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences—underscoring deep expertise in advanced aerospace engineering, systems integration, and mission-critical technology development. He routinely oversees contracts for signal processing, space vehicle sustainment, command and control architecture, and next-generation navigation systems, requiring specialized technical knowledge and rigorous acquisition governance.