TOP 10 ‘Retired’ Insider Tips: Accessing Federal Contracts presented by Vikki Hawthorne, National Director | Supplier Development.. This session will provide a glance at a ‘retired’ insider’s perspective to government contracting and marketing small business products and services to the federal government. Further, the tips will allow small businesses to develop potential strategies for pursuing federal contracting and subcontracting opportunities. This session furthers Chamber commitment to increase members’ potential to secure opportunities in government marketplace.
Vikki Hawthorne
Vikki Hawthorne is the National Director – Supplier Development for the Chamber. Widely regarded as a passionate small business resource partner who thoroughly understands the many challenges of small business ownership, Ms. Hawthorne has extensive ‘insider’ experience in federal government contracting and training. In 2014, Ms. Hawthorne retired with 30 years of federal government service with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).
From January 2011 through August 2014, Ms. Hawthorne served as Associate Director in the Office of Small Business Programs at DLA’s Land and Maritime and was responsible to ensure that small businesses got their fair share of $3 Billion eligible contracting dollars. Under her leadership, Ms. Hawthorne made significant small business performance improvements, noted as:
-Led her team resulting in efforts of increase in dollars awarded to small businesses from Fiscal Year (FY) 11/FY12.
-Land and Maritime increased percentage of awards to small businesses from FY12/FY13.
-Noted a marked increase in FY14 performance percentages in the socioeconomic categories which include disadvantaged, woman owned, service disabled veteran owned and historically underutilized business zone small businesses.
Ms. Hawthorne spent over 15 years as the Supplier Outreach Program Manager in the DLA Land and Maritime Small Business Programs Office before her promotion to the senior leadership positon of Associate Director. In that role, Ms. Hawthorne collaborated with small business advocate organizations and prime contractors to promote small business participation in federal prime and subcontracting procurement opportunities. Ms. Hawthorne further expanded and facilitated supplier education with Training, Knowledge, Opportunities Seminars hosted by DLA Land and Maritime. In addition, Ms. Hawthorne coordinated with acquisition personnel to identify small and socioeconomically designated businesses as potential sources of supply. Ms. Hawthorne frequently regarded as subject matter expert for supplier and acquisition personnel training development was known nationally as an enthusiastic and thoughtful speaker, facilitator and trainer.