Yolanda A. Mercado

Yolanda A. Mercado serves as a Contracting Officer within the U.S. Coast Guard’s LOG-9 office (70Z084), responsible for managing the acquisition of critical life-cycle support services essential to shore-based and maritime operational readiness. She oversees the full procurement lifecycle—from market research and solicitation to contract award and administration—for services that sustain mission-critical infrastructure, security systems, and environmental compliance. Her portfolio primarily supports facility maintenance, security operations, and geospatial intelligence functions, ensuring the Coast Guard maintains resilient, habitable, and secure operational environments across the nation’s coastal and inland waterways. Mercado maintains consistent working relationships with a core group of contractors including GILMAN CORPORATION THE, FRONTLINE ENTERPRISES LLC, S3 SOLUTIONS ONE LLC, FAZTEC INDUSTRIES INC, and VMX INTERNATIONAL LLC. These partnerships reflect a focus on specialized service providers with proven capabilities in security systems integration, geophysical surveying, and government support services. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, long-term vendor collaboration, and rigorous compliance with federal acquisition regulations, fostering reliable, mission-aligned delivery of technical and logistical support. A strong advocate for small business participation, Mercado consistently prioritizes Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with approximately 71.4% of her awards designated for small businesses. Her socioeconomic contracting patterns reflect a deliberate strategy to expand opportunities for small disadvantaged, HUBZone, and service-disabled veteran-owned firms, aligning with the Coast Guard’s broader mission to promote equitable access to federal contracting. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541360 (Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services) and 541361 (Security Systems Services), each accounting for one-third of her portfolio, with additional emphasis on 541380 (Testing Laboratories and Services) and 921190 (Other General Government Support). She specializes in acquiring technical services that enable environmental monitoring, infrastructure assessment, and security infrastructure deployment, demonstrating deep domain expertise in mission-critical geospatial and protective systems.