Tallulah R. Gant
Philadelphia,PA
Summary
Contract Specialist with 15+ years’ cradle-to-grave experience across HUD, VA, federal, and state military agencies; warrant authority to $5M; led source selections (BVTO/LPTA) for construction, A&E, supplies, services, and IT. Managed $110M+ in annual obligations across IDIQ/BPA/FFP/T&M vehicles; cut PALT by 68% through streamlined market research, IGCE rigor, and template SOPs. Chief negotiator for complex CPIF/FPF/EPA arrangements; delivered $32M in cost avoidance and improved competition rates by 71%. Skilled in FAR/VAAR/COMAR compliance, small business strategies (FAR 19, 26), and audit-ready documentation; proficient with PRISM/eCMS, Oracle, FPDS-NG, CPARS, SAM.gov, and eSRS. Experienced with procurement strategies, supplier management, and cost optimization. Utilizes strategic sourcing and supplier relationship management to enhance procurement efficiency. Track record of driving process improvements and achieving cost savings in dynamic environments.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Procurement Supervisor
Maryland Military Department (MMD)
05.2025 - 10.2025
- Direct supervision to assigned procurement staff and oversee the day-to-day procurement activities for 85+ MDARNG & MDANG installations and programs. Work closely with the Deputy Chief of Staff to ensure that State procurement laws and regulations are enforced while providing for the needs of the Department and the Programs it services. Responsible for the tracking of deadlines and timetables for all projects, contracts, and procurements. Manage, assign, review, and closely monitor RFP’s and complex procurements including the development of specifications, solicitation documents, conducting pre bid and pre-proposal conferences, the evaluation of bids and the securing of appropriate approvals for contract awards. Conduct meetings with the Deputy Chief of Staff to brief on critical issues and resolve problems as they arise. prepare solicitation documents for various agreements for Maryland Military Department and its programs. obtain bids, evaluation of bids and execution of contract awards. Establish workflow improvements to ensure that the unit is providing excellent customer service to executive staff, program directors, federal partners (MDARNG & MDANG) in a fast paced, multifaceted environment. Provide support and assistance, as needed, and act as backup to the Procurement Director. Assign requisitions and procure all commodities, equipment, and services. Review, develop, and prepare solicitations. conducts pre-bid/proposals, site visits, and conferences on advertised solicitations. Agency Liaison Officer for the Minority Business Enterprise, Small Business Reserve, and Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise, to increase participation and competition by 44%. Make determinations for procurements per COMAR requirements -sole source determination, emergency declarations, rejections of bidder(s) and/ or bids. Oversight of the entire life cycle that makes up MMD’s procurement and contract management processes and practices. Provide support for the State Emergency Response Operations.
Contract Specialist
Department of Housing and Urban Development
01.2023 - 09.2025
- Serve as a Contract Specialist for the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer providing federal administrative support services. Plan, negotiate, lead, and/or administer complex procurements of goods, systems or services with specialized, state-of-the-art, critical or scarce requirements. Conduct independent reviews of procurement documents and packages. Develop and/or review complex contractual pricing arrangements and incentives characterized by multiple incentives requiring sophisticated contracting techniques, sharing arrangements such as cost-plus-incentive-fees or fixed-price-incentive-fees where the agency and the contractor share cost risk, or economic price adjustment clauses for adjusting labor and material costs where price cannot be reasonably predicted at the time of negotiation. Audit or review major procedure improvements. Process relevant actions to support all aspects of socio-economic goal requirements in accordance with FAR Parts 19 and 26. In regard to negotiated procurements, determine the selected offeror(s) represent the best value (price and other factors considered) or lowest technically acceptable and meets regulatory requirements to be considered a responsible contractor. Coordinates with the Small Business Administration for Certificate of Competencies (COC’s) and 8(a) awards. Conduct ethics and source selection briefings to establish and oversee Technical Evaluation Boards (TEB) to determine acceptability and ranking of technical proposals. Identify appropriate negotiation team members; formulates pre-negotiation objectives; and facilitates the negotiation as the team leader and chief negotiator. Eliminate unacceptable proposals and notify offerors concerning further negotiation or elimination from the competitive range. Conduct intermediate cost and price analysis to assist in negotiations for competitive and noncompetitive procurements.
Contract Specialist
Cameo Consulting Group, LLC
03.2021 - 07.2022
- Serve as a Contract Specialist providing federal contract administration support services to the Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Acquisition Center in Fredericksburg, VA. Conduct contract administration duties in the requiring activities to perform market research, reviewing specifications and statements of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans, while serving as a member of the acquisition team. Ensure that specifications and statements of work are prepared in a manner, which adequately describes the Government's requirements without restricting competition. Advise technical personnel to inadequate, ambiguous or vague specifications to avoid Government liability. Perform reviews of recommended sole source requirements and conduct necessary market analyses, to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisitions. Prepare required findings and sufficiently documents determinations in this regard. Responsible for selecting the appropriate method of procurement i.e., simplified acquisition procedures, sealed bidding and negotiations. Advertising all applicable requirements and preparing the solicitation document using agency contract writing systems for Issuance, insuring regulatory and legal sufficiency, and promoting maximum competition. Coordinate with the relevant to all aspects of socio-economic goal requirements. In regard to negotiated procurements, determine the selected offeror(s) represent the best value (price and other factors considered) and meets regulatory requirements to be considered a responsible contractor. Resolve protest, mistakes in bids, late bid situations and coordinates with the Small Business Administration for Certificate of Competencies (COC’s). Serve as the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and establishes Technical Evaluation Boards (TEB) to determine acceptability and ranking of technical proposals. Identify appropriate negotiation team members; formulates pre-negotiation objectives; and facilitates the negotiation as the team leader and chief negotiator. Eliminate unacceptable proposals and notify offerors concerning further negotiation or elimination from the competitive range. Conduct negotiations for competitive and noncompetitive procurements.
Contracting Officer
National Cemetery Administration
07.2017 - 04.2020
- Serve as a Federal Contracting Officer GS-11/12 for the National Cemetery Administration Contracting Service conducting “cradle to grave” contract management in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to include acquisition planning, solicitation analysis, negotiation, awarding and administration of groups of contracts, such as definite quantity, indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, multi-year, option year, direct vendor supply, and Federal Supply Schedules. Draft and execute a wide range of contracts to include construction and A&E contracts, supplies and services, sole source procurements, requests, solicitations, modifications, task orders, source selection. Facilitate source selection evaluation boards and panels. Formulate acquisition strategy, draft and finalizing Statement of Work (SOW), Cost-Price Analysis, Performance Work Statements, Invitation for Bid (IFB), Request for Proposals, Quotes preparation, Blanket Purchase Agreements, Interagency Agreements (IAA), GSA Schedule Buys, competitive range, negotiation, and risk assessment. Provide assistance and training to Contracting Officers supporting purchase orders and contracts totaling over $40.8 million to qualified vendors. Ensure that received proposals conform to the solicitation requests. Conduct pre-proposal, pre-bid and pre-construction conference(s) to arrive at a clear understanding of what is required under the proposed contract. Serve as adviser to program officials in creation and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for procurement planning and contract administration procedures.
- S: Kellyann Bruno
- P: 703-630-9338
- No contact
Procurement / Contract Specialist - Intern
Veterans Acquisition Academy
02.2016 - 07.2017
- Use of case studies and simulations of contracting scenarios to demonstrate and practice a number of competencies focusing on FAR regulations, critical thinking, various market research strategies, and problem solving by reinforcing knowledge obtained during classroom training. Participate in training focused on FAI’s professional aptitudes such as leadership, program management, team building, and interpersonal skills. Complete and master all required curriculum in Business Education, Professional Development, Peak Performance, and Mission Service.
- Perform pre-award acquisition planning for construction services and requirements as an Intern for the National Cemetery Administration, conduct market research to determine availability of suitable firms to determine acquisition strategies in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the VA Acquisition Regulation (VAAR). Review technical writing, customer/contract liaison support. Prepare solicitation documentation and determine appropriate method of procurement advertising utilizing FedBizOpps. Determine if requirement is unrestricted, sole source small business, or set aside. Evaluate quotes using various cost price analysis, i.e., previously proposed prices and contract prices for similar end items and Independent Government Estimates (IGE) to determine Fair and Reasonableness (F&R) of the proposed price(s). Create contract awards, bilateral or unilateral modifications using Electronic Contract Management System (eCMS). Conduct IFB in accordance with FAR Part 14 and Part 36, Solicitation and facilitate A/E IDIQ Task Order actions, assist staff with the completion of contract documents, responsibility checks, document verification and contract modifications.
Education
DSL, Doctor of Strategic Leadership - Business Administration And Management
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA12.2026
Masters of Arts - Public Leadership
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA01.2024
Bachelors of Science - Business Administration
Mount St. Mary’s University
Frederick, MD01.2018
Skills
- Proficient in the processing of contract actions in accordance with FAR Parts 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 26, 36, 37, and 38
- 15 years of combined experience working within PRISM and eCMS contract management systems
- Possesses an excellent command of communication skills, both written and verbal
- Exceptional organizational skills, time-management, soft skills, and work-ethic
- 9 years of combined experience in military engineering/aviation operational procurement procedures
- Proficient skills in the operation of Microsoft operating systems, Microsoft Office365, Adobe system applications, Google Workspace
- Professional with over 15 years of experience with an exceptional capacity to analyze operational needs and develop processes and procedures needed to meet organizational objectives utilizing Lean Six Sigma methodologies
- Strong analytical abilities and leadership skills
Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
- FAC-C Level Professional
- FAC-COR Level III
- Leadership Excellence for Acquisition Professionals (LEAP)
- Certified Maryland Procurement Associate (CMPA)
Honors, Awards, and Special Accomplishments
- Navy Veteran 2008 - 2016 Honorable Discharge
- Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Battle Effectiveness Award, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Timeline
Procurement Supervisor
Maryland Military Department (MMD)
05.2025 - 10.2025
Contract Specialist
Department of Housing and Urban Development
01.2023 - 09.2025
Contract Specialist
Cameo Consulting Group, LLC
03.2021 - 07.2022
Contracting Officer
National Cemetery Administration
07.2017 - 04.2020
Procurement / Contract Specialist - Intern
Veterans Acquisition Academy
02.2016 - 07.2017
Masters of Arts - Public Leadership
University of San Francisco
Bachelors of Science - Business Administration
Mount St. Mary’s University
DSL, Doctor of Strategic Leadership - Business Administration And Management
Liberty University