There are two senior agency positions dedicated to ensuring full and open competition as a part of the federal contracting process: Advocates for Competition and Task-Order and Delivery Order Ombudsman.
Each federal agency and contracting activity must have an Advocate for Competition as described in Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.5. They are responsible for:
- Promoting full and open competition.
- Promoting the acquisition of commercial items.
- Removing barriers to full and open competition, such as unnecessarily restrictive statements of work, overly detailed specifications, and burdensome contract clauses.
The Task Order and Delivery Order Ombudsman may also be the agency’s Advocate for Competition as described in Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 16.505. They are responsible for:
- Addressing contractor concerns regarding compliance with task/delivery order award procedures.
- Reviewing contractor complaints regarding task/delivery order contracts.
- Ensuring all contractors are afforded a fair opportunity to be considered for each task/delivery order.
- When requested, maintaining strict confidentiality of the contractor requesting assistance.
Anyone who has a question or concern regarding the fairness or transparency of a DHS procurement may contact any of the individuals below to receive assistance.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Competition Advocate
Ann Van Houten, Ann.VanHouten@hq.dhs.gov, 202-447-5285
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Judith A. Simpson, judith.a.simpson@cbp.dhs.gov, 202-425-1756
Michael Amaral, Alternate Procuring Activity Advocate for Competition
michael.c.amaral@cbp.dhs.gov, 317-381-5343
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Frederick Steward, Frederick.Steward@uscg.mil, 202-475-3105
Maria L. Kersey-Robinson, maria.l.kersey@uscg.mil, 202-340-6936
Gregory H. Magee, Gregory.H.Magee@uscg.mil, 571-608-2868, Alternate
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Keecha Elliott, keecha.elliott@fema.dhs.gov, 202-655-1162
Patricia V. Hoover, patricia.hoover@fema.dhs.gov, 202-212-5987; Alternate
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Andrew J. Latta, andrew.j.latta@fletc.dhs.gov, 912-261-3691
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Elease Sanders, Elease.Sanders@ice.dhs.gov, 202-897-5343
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Denise Randolph, Denise.Randolph@tsa.dhs.gov, (571) 227-4978; Alternate Charles T. Eppright, Charles.Eppright@tsa.dhs.gov, (202) 731-3811
U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Eric V. Pagal, eric.pagal@usss.dhs.gov, 202-510-7012
Office of Procurement Operations Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Antoinette Clay, antoinette.clay@hq.dhs.gov, 202-815-4773
Office of Selective Acquisitions (OSA) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Janet D’Angelo, janet.dangelo@hq.dhs.gov, 202-447-0728
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Advocate for Competition and Ombudsman
Daniel Knapp, Daniel.J.Knapp@uscis.dhs.gov, 301-767-7690
Sandie S. Kapoor, Sandie.S.Kapoor@uscis.dhs.gov, 202-802-0269; Alternate