FY 2022 Annual Small Business Awards - Award Recipients
The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s (OSDBU’s) Annual Small Business Awards Program recognizes the outstanding performance of people and organizations that promote and expand the Department’s use of small businesses. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Annual Small Business Awards ceremony took place on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, during the 2023 DOE Small Business Forum & Expo. The awards were presented by Ron Pierce, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Below are the award recipients of the FY 2022 Annual Small Business Awards Program.
1. Federal Small Business Program Manager of the Year:
Award Recipient: Gary Lyttek, Senior Business Source Manager, National Nuclear Security Administration, Washington, DC
Awardee Description: During FY 2022, Gary Lyttek implemented strategies to increase the value of competitively award contracts. Negotiated the highest subcontracting goals for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) M&O contractors (54%) and exceeded sSRS goals – over half of DOE’s M&O achievements ($3.9B). Gary was instrumental in revising sources sought and requests for information templates to ensure full consideration is given to small businesses first, supporting 82 new awards. Gary led annual negotiations with M&O partners’ small business subcontracting goals at the DOE-Headquarters level. Triennially, Gary evaluated M&O partners’ progress towards goals through NNSA’s Contractor Performance & Evaluation Plan process which resulted in NNSA’s M&O award fee determinations. The NNSA M&O contractor team exceeded all DOE/SBA negotiated goals (SB=52%; SDB=12%; WOSB=9%; HUBZone=5%; VOSB=7%; SDV=5%) = $3.9B.
2. Federal Contracting Officer of the Year:
Award Recipient: Kyle Krzywicki, Federal Contracting Officer, National Nuclear Security Administration, Washington, DC
Awardee Description: Ms. Krzywicki is the Contracting Officer on the NNSA Technical, Engineering, and Professional Services (TEPS) III Blank Purchase Agreement (BPA). Kyle successfully awarded nine $400M BPAs to small business-led teams with a total value of $3.6B. Her efforts have significantly expanded the NNSA TEPSIII BPA work scope to include small businesses under NAICS 541715, Research & Development in the Physical, Engineering and Life Sciences with a size standard of 1,000 employees. The TEPS III BPA has been marketed across DOE and NNSA. Many offices are now utilizing these BPAs for a wide range of services. Under TEPS III there are additional set-aside opportunities for Service-Disabled-Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Women-Owned Small Businesses. The predecessor BPA, TEPS II, has cumulative task order ceilings in excess of $1B.
3. Federal Procurement Director of the Year:
Award Recipient: Brittany Decker, Acquisition Strategy, Planning and Construction Team Manager, National Renewable Energy Laboratory Golden, Colorado
Awardee Description: Ms. Decker displays true leadership, determination, and commitment to maximizing small business utilization at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Her thoughtful overhaul of policies, procedures, and outreach in 2022 led to results – reversing a downward trend in external relationships after numerous administrative changes in the NREL Small Business Program. Ms. Decker began a complete policy and procedure overhaul, and changed the documentation processes, giving more authority to the approval of small business awards under $250,000. As a result from her team’s efforts in 2022, compared with 2021, revealed an almost 6% increase in total small business awards, including a 5% increase in women-owned business support, an almost 4% increase in small, disadvantaged support, an over 3% increase in veteran-owned business support, as well as increase in HUBZone and disabled service veteran support.
4. Facility Management Contractor (FMC) Small Business Program Manager of the Year:
Award Recipient: Jonathan Benjamin, Small Business Program Manager, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California
This award recognizes an individual within a DOE facility who embodies the many facets of an energetic, forward-thinking small business program manager. His or her efforts far exceed expectations in working with, advocating for, and assisting in the increased utilization of small businesses.
Awardee Description: Jon implemented strategies to increase the value of awarded subcontracts to small businesses. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) increased spend in 4/5 socioeconomic categories in FY 2022; most notably in HUBZone (15.9%), Veteran (25.8%), and Small Disadvantaged-Veteran (32.6%) categories. Jon executed events to increase small business participating in the procurement process. The majority of his outreach efforts focused on personalized interactions with small businesses. Additionally, Jon implemented new initiatives which enhanced competencies and capabilities of small business supplier base and developed new markets for small businesses. Jon expanded LLNS’ Mentor-Protégé program with the addition of a small business who specializes in environmental, and facilities support services. Additionally, Jon reviewed all requisitions valued over $100K to identify potential new opportunities for small businesses. In FY 2022, Jon reviewed over 900 new award requisitions.
5. FMC Contracting Officer of the Year:
Award Recipient: Y. Sofia Delgadillo Marrufo, Subcontract Manager, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Awardee Description: Sofia, as the IT Subcontractor Manager, has played a key role in providing exceptional service for pre-award/post-award actions related to DOE Small Business Program, which has resulted in increasing the small business supplier bases in support of DOE’s mission needs and objectives. As an IT Subcontractor Manager, and Mentor, she assists in developing and supporting Sandia’s Protégé, CeLeen, LLC, working closely with the IT technical customers in awarding subcontracts to the Protégés. In fact, Sofia has awarded Sandia’s IT Protégé, two $4M Contract Purchase Agreements (CPA), $8 total.
Sofia’s passion and drive to help the Protégés has spread to other areas. Because of her success in awarding subcontracts with CeLeen, LLC, other subcontract manager Mentors lean on her expertise to understand how they can apply her processes to their subcontracts with Sandia’s other Protégés.
6. FMC Procurement Director of the Year:
Award Recipient: Jacque Coleman, Procurement Director, Kansas City National Security Campus managed by Honeywell FM&T, Kansas City, Missouri
Awardee Description: Under Ms. Coleman’s leadership and support, the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) has increased the organization’s ability to put small business first. KCNSC increased small business spend significantly in FY 2022.
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business spend increased 48% from $32M in FY 2021 to $47.4M I FY 2022.
- Veteran-Owned Small Business spend increased 24% from $47.6M in FY 2021 to $59M in FY 2022.
- HUBZone spend increased 20% from $28.6M in FY 2021 to $34.4M in FY 2022.
- Woman-Owned Small Business spend increased 2% from $65.4M tin FY2021 to $66.6M in FY 2022.
- Small Business spend increased from $427M in FY 2021 to $429M in FY 2022.
- All six of KCNSC’s FY 2022 socioeconomic goals were exceeded!
7. FMC Procurement Director of the Year:
Award Recipient: Shawna Southwick, Supply Chain Senior Manager, Idaho Environmental Coalition, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Awardee Description: The Idaho Environmental Coalition was selected by the DOE to manage cleanup operations at the Idaho Cleanup Project (ICP) in 2021 with official supervision starting January of 2022. Under Shawna’s leadership, the organization and team flourished. Under the previous contractor, the ICP finished FY 2021 with a 65% attainment and in FY 2022, led by Shawna, ICP accomplished a 69% attainment rate (based on eSRS reporting).
Shawna actively empowers all procurement specialists and subcontract administrators to own the organization’s processes and goals. Senior procurement specialists are included in the small business work and conference attendance. All new hires spent time training with the Small Business Liaison in their second week of employment. New procurement desk manuals with descriptions and processes have broadened the organization’s use and understanding of small businesses. Shawn consistently displays Idaho Environmental Coalition’s core values of doing things right, challenging the accepted, aiming higher, and living inclusion.
8. Mentor of the Year:
Award Recipient: Sandia’s Small Business Mentor-Protégé Program, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Awardee Description: In FY 2022, Sandia’s commitment to increasing small business participation through the Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) resulted in successfully mentoring three protégés (two in construction – Pluma, LLC and Strategic Industry Inc; both service-disabled, veteran-owned small disadvantaged businesses. In FY 2022, Sandia MPP team conducted 109 workshop sessions with 81 mentors supporting the MPP program and workshop efforts. The subcontracts awarded to protégés under Sandia’s MPP program include:
- CeLeen, LLC: Two CPAs awarded in the amount of $4M each, $8M total.
- Pluma, LLC: CPA was awarded in the amount of $4M.
- Strategic Industry, Inc.: CPA was awarded in the amount of $4M.
Sandia’s MPP Program is critical in growing its supplier base with qualified and capable suppliers. We strive to continue to look for ways to maximize opportunities to make them a stronger supplier, ensuring their success with Sandia and the Department.
9. Protégé of the Year:
Award Recipient: Pueblo Alliance, LLC, Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico
Awardee Description: Pueblo Alliance is comprised of two Native American Enterprise Development Corporations, Tsay Services and San Ildeonso Services. Pueblo Alliance has a DOE Mentor-Protégé agreement with Triad. In FY 2022, Pueblo Alliance had over 50 Task Orders for maintenance and construction with varying stages of execution ranging in size from $200K to $3.5M. Pueblo Alliance was selected as a first of its kind to participate in Los Alamos National Laboratory’s (LANL’s) Job Order Contracting Construction Pilot Program. Additionally, they have been a critical player in the Contingent Labor contract and in FY 2022 provided over 90 employees to LANL for varying support functions. Pueblo Alliance has developed and is implementing a pilot program to recruit, develop, and hire new Q-Cleared personnel from the Northern New Mexico region. In FY 2022, Pueblo Alliance provided 20 Q-Cleared personnel to support this mission. Pueblo Alliance has become the solution to a multitude of challenges at LANL through their expertise as a contractor and a New Mexico small business.
10. 8(a)/Small Disadvantaged Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: Chenega Professional & Technical Services, LLC, Anchorage, Alaska
Awardee Description: In FY 2022, Chenega provided tremendous acquisition support services in support of the DOE’s Headquarters National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Partnership and Acquisition Services (NA-PAS) to include contract pre-solicitation, solicitation, post-award, administration, and closeout activities.
Throughout FY 2022, NA-PAS was immersed with the heavy task of moving the Albuquerque Complex to a new facility at the Jordan A. Gordon Complex. In early May 2022, the Specialty Acquisitions Branch required assistance with coordinating the move which included disposition of old contract files to ensure the limited storage space at the new facility was not exceeded. Chenega provided extraordinary customer service and assisted NA-PAS with tracking closed contracts and compiled the details to identify expired contracts and contracts disposition.
11. Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: BC Computer Supply, Inc, dba BC Office Solutions, Land O Lakes, Florida
Awardee Description: BC Office Solutions is a small, woman-owned business that plays a vital role in helping Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) meeting its growing and evolving hardware, software, and IT equipment requirements. In FY 2022, KCNSC procured over $2M in products from BC Office Solutions.
In FY 2022 through all the supply chain challenges, BC Office Solutions remained dedicated and committed to stellar communications and customer support. Their commitment to KCNSC is evident in their On Time Delivery (OTD) performance of 93.85%. To put this metric intro perspective, an 93.85% OTD translates to only 12 late counts out of 195 purchase order commits spanning more than 50,000 purchase order lines.
12. HUBZone Small Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: Wildflower International, Ltd., Santa Fe, New Mexico
Awardee Description: To aid LANL’s mission supporting National Security, Wildflower makes significant investment in a customized Salesforce-based eCommerce site. Wildflower monitors open orders to ensure delivery by the required date. They expedite build status for urgent orders of those at risk of not meeting delivery requirements, ensuring a maximized budget. In FY 2022, Wildflower provided order status notifications for 1,165 order totaling 61,166 items.
For months leading up to fiscal end-of-year, Wildflower increased the review to understand supply chain constraints and expediated all orders in productions ton ensure they met delivery requirements without compromising budget. In FY 2022, Wildflower provided over $35M in equipment with savings from contractual requirements of over $3M by negotiating special pricing with suppliers and passing those savings to LANL.
13. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: TEVET, Greenville, Tennessee
Awardee Description: TEVET plays a key role in meeting DOE requirements in the areas of acquiring and integrating test and measurement equipment systems, and instrumentation. In FY 2022, the KCNSC procured over $8.6M in test and measurement equipment from TEVET.
To support DOE requirements, TEVET created a state-of-the-art eCommerce Marketplace which reduces time associated with order placement within the DOE sites. The TEVET Marketplace allows quotes to be parked and purchase orders to be generated with single touch checkout/approval. Furthermore, TEVET provided superior pricing and delivery to DOE in FY 2022 by leveraging its multi-site agreements.
14. SBIR/STTR Small Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: Tiptek, LLC, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Awardee Description: Tiptek, LLC is an innovative small business multiple SBIR awardee that has captured 15% of the world market for nanprobes over the last six years. Tiptek and its work are instrumental in securing the domestic supply chain for semiconductor manufacturing.
In FY 2022, based on SBIR-funded scientific discoveries and technology developments, Tiptek:
- Introduced a new product line of advanced Semiconductor Nanoprobe Failure Analysis (SNFA) probes that are more chemically robust and designed specifically for rapid growth of low electron energy scanning electron microscope imaging in the chip industry.
- Completed development of and successfully introduced into production a process to etch multiple tungsten wires simultaneously. Tiptek’s new process yields an unprecedented 150-fold increase in production rate.
15. Small Business of the Year:
Award Recipient: Seaway Plastics Engineering, Port Richey, Florida
Awardee Description: Seaway Plastics Engineering (SPE) specializes in high-mix low-volume plastic injection-molded parts. SPE stands out with their innovative solutions for improving On Time Delivery and Lots Accepted Trouble Free, and their improvement of processes and service in support of DOE’s mission.
SPE collaborated with HCNSC Engineering to improve their Lots Accepted Trouble Free metric in FY 2022. The team established a proactive approach to minimize Nonconformance Reports (NCR) by examining historical NCR data of items with future demand, then implemented systemic adjustments to prevent the same NCR for reoccurring. This effort yielded a 13% improvement from FY 2021’s LATF and SPEC achieved an LAFT of 100% during the last three months of FY 2022.
Seaway supports KCNSC with exceptional customer service in the form of direct communication with their Quality, Customer Service, and Management departments, and hosting KCNSC for multiple initiatives.
16. OSDBU Director’s Excellence Award:
Award Recipient: Patrick Simien, Director and Head of Contracting Activity, Office of Headquarters Procurement Services, Office of Management Washington, DC.
Awardee Description: Patrick had served as the co-lead for the Acquisition Forecast Improvement Working Group (AFIWG), an endeavor at helping streamline the DOE, NNSA, and lab acquisition forecasts. His contributions helped maintain the focus that the acquisition forecast improvement deserves. Patrick had also led an effective resolution of Alleged Undue Restrictions, ensuring that small businesses could fairly compete.
17. OSDBU Director’s Excellence Award:
Award Recipient: Anne Marie Bird, Small Business Program Manager, Office of Environmental Management, Cincinnati, OH
Awardee Description: During FY 2022, Anne Marie supported the AFIWG, standing out as a key participant, and had also volunteered EM’s best practice in the discussions. In addition to being part of the AFIWG, Anne Marie participated as a member of the Mentor Protégé Program (MPP) Working Group. She had been and continues to be a champion of the DOE MPP program, providing support, communication, and assistance with retrieving information from mentors to help compile the annual MPP report. Anne Marie also attended, participated in, and supported OSDBU cohosted events.
18. OSDBU Director’s Excellence Award:
Award Recipient: Byron McCollum, Small Business Program Manager, Western Area Power Administration, Lakewood, CO
Awardee Description: Byron had been a vocal member of the AFIWG, providing valuable comments to aid the team in making important incremental improvements to the current forecast. Byron had actively supported posting opportunities for small businesses in the DOE/NNSA acquisition forecast, including awards going to small business for their non-appropriated funded dollars. Byron had also supported OSDBU initiatives in providing upcoming awards to be shared with small businesses during outreach events.
19. OSDBU Director’s Excellence Award:
Award Recipient: Lani MacRae, Small Business Program Manager, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden, CO
Awardee Description: Lani was a vocal member of the AFIWG, providing valuable comments to aid the team in making important incremental improvements to the current forecast. Lani supported new MPP Agreements and bolstered support in new Federal Energy Management Program solicitations/contracts to require MPP participation. Lani also provided her support and assistance in resolving Alleged Undue Restrictions, ensuring that small businesses could fairly compete.
For additional information concerning the Annual Small Business Awards Program, please contact Anita Anderson, Public and Outreach Engagement Specialist at anita.anderson@hq.doe.gov.