USACE honors Small Business and Contracting professionals

By Bill CostlowNovember 8, 2023

USACE honors Small Business and Contracting professionals
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Small Business Category Award is presented to St. Paul District, part of Mississippi Valley Division, during an awards ceremony Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. The ceremony recognized individual and organizational accomplishments within Small Business and Contracting teams in Fiscal Year 2023, during which time USACE awarded a record $10.6 billion to Small Businesses. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Jake Pope, USACE Visual Information) VIEW ORIGINAL
USACE honors Small Business and Contracting professionals
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Baltimore District, part of North Atlantic Division, receives the District/Center of the Year Award for Excellence in Contracting during an awards ceremony Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. The ceremony recognized individual and organizational accomplishments within Small Business and Contracting teams in Fiscal Year 2023. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Andre Mayeaux, USACE Ft. Worth District) VIEW ORIGINAL
USACE honors Small Business and Contracting professionals
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Leaders from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gather with USACE Small Business and Contracting award recipients following an awards ceremony Nov. 1 in San Antonio, Texas. The ceremony recognized individual and organizational accomplishments within Small Business and Contracting teams in Fiscal Year 2023, during which time USACE awarded a record $10.6 billion to Small Businesses. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Andre Mayeaux, USACE Ft. Worth District) VIEW ORIGINAL

San Antonio, TX – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognized excellence in contracting and small business partnerships during an award ceremony Nov. 1.

The ceremony took place at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, during USACE’s participation in the Society of American Military Engineers’ annual Small Business Conference.

USACE leaders presented 45 individual and team awards for accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2023 – a year in which USACE awarded a record $10.6 billion to small businesses.

“I want to thank our Small Business and Contracting professionals…Fiscal Year 2023 really was a remarkable year for us – just amazing accomplishments,” said Lt. Gen. Scott A. Spellmon, 55th Chief of Engineers and USACE commanding general. “It’s really not about the numbers; it’s about safely delivering quality projects on time and within budget for all of our partners.”

Other leaders in attendance included Megan Dake, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for procurement, Kimberly Buehler, director for the Army Office of Small Business Programs, Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Galick, 15th command sergeant major of USACE, and leaders from USACE divisions, districts and centers.

USACE Small Business Awards publicly recognize individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to the achievements of the USACE Small Business Program.

Excellence in Contracting awards recognize the achievements of the USACE contracting workforce for their continuing and exceptional commitment to the country. Specifically, this program recognizes those who have contributed to the USACE Campaign Plan Objective 4c3, “Improve Acquisition Execution with Policy, Processes, and Certified Professionals,” and who achieved exceptional success during FY 2023.

To learn about doing business with USACE, review the “Contractor Roadmap to Success” on the USACE website: https://www.usace.army.mil/Business-With-Us/Small-Business/Contractor-Roadmap-to-Success/

Small Business Awards

Nominated Award Categories

Small Business Professional of the Year: Alisa Marshall, Ft. Worth District.

Contracting Professional of the Year: Melissa Rada, Charleston District.

Program Manager/Engineer Professional of the Year: Daniel Killip, Sacramento District.

Small Business Champion Award of the Year: Kenneth Harlan, Mobile District.

Small Business Success Story: Albuquerque District.

Colonel Richard Gridley Award for Excellence for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB): Charleston District.

Small Business Category: St. Paul District.

Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) Category: Rock Island District.

Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Category: Memphis District.

Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Business Category: Jacksonville District.

 Non-nomination Award Categories

(In addition to the nominated award categories, USACE recognizes divisions, districts and centers with overall highest achievement in contract dollar amounts and percentage of overall contract dollars awarded to small businesses in all socioeconomic categories, as determined by FY23 contract award data.)

Division Awards

Overall Highest FY23 Small Business Award by Dollar: South Atlantic Division.

Overall Highest FY23 Small Business Award by Percentage: Mississippi Valley Division.

Overall Highest FY23 WOSB Award by Dollar: South Atlantic Division.

Overall Highest FY23 WOSB Award by Percentage: South Atlantic Division.

Overall Highest FY23 HUBZone Award by Dollar: South Atlantic Division.

Overall Highest FY23 HUBZone Award by Percentage: Great Lakes And River Division.

Overall Highest FY23 SDB Award by Dollar: South Atlantic Division.

Overall Highest FY23 SDB Award by Percentage: South Pacific Division.

Overall Highest FY23 SDVOSB by Dollar; Southwestern Division.

Overall Highest FY23 SDVOSB by Percentage Southwestern Division.

Districts and Centers Awards

Overall Highest Small Business Award by Dollar: Huntsville Center.

Overall Highest Small Business Award by Percentage: St. Paul District.

Overall Highest WOSB Award by Dollar: Huntsville Center.

Overall Highest WOSB Award by Percentage: HECSA.

Overall Highest FY23 HUBZone Award by Dollar: Louisville District.

Overall Highest FY23 HUBZone Award by Percentage: Vicksburg District.

Overall Highest SDB Award by Dollar: Huntsville Center.

Overall Highest SDB Award by Percentage: Albuquerque District.

Overall Highest SDVOSB by Dollar: Sacramento District.

Overall Highest SDVOSB by Percentage: Little Rock District.

FY23 with highest percentage of set-asides in FY23: Albuquerque District.

FY23 District/Center with largest dollar award to Small Business (Districts/Centers Less Than $400M annual obligations): Portland District.

FY23 District/Center with largest dollar award to Small Business (Districts/Centers Greater than $400M annual obligations): Philadelphia District.

FY23 Largest increase in Small Business from past fiscal year by dollars: Philadelphia District.

FY23 Largest increase in Small Business from past fiscal year by percentage: St. Paul District.

Excellence in Contracting Awards

Contract Specialist of the Year: Whitney Dee, St. Louis District.

Procuring Contracting Officer of the Year: Patricia Morrow, Baltimore District.

Team of the Year: East Campus Contracting Team, Baltimore District.

Procurement Analyst of the Year: Eric Thor, Europe District.

Administrative Contracting Officer of the Year: Richard (Brian) Mock, Savannah District.

Manager of the Year: Jennifer Kelley, Huntsville Center.

District/Center of the Year: Baltimore District.

51C Commissioned Officer of the Year: Maj. Daniel Jernigan, Tulsa District.

51C Noncommissioned Officer of the Year: Master Sgt. Aaron Kopecky, Europe District.

Special Action Award: Contracting Professional of the Year: Shamron (Shea) Richardson, Mississippi Valley Division.