Department of Homeland Security Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) Acting Director Darlene Bullock has been elevated to the permanent role, HSToday has learned.
Bullock began serving as the deputy director of OSDBU in June 2015. She served as the program manager for several small business programs including 8(a), small disadvantaged, and women-owned.
Before joining the OSDBU in January 2011, Bullock was a division director and contracting officer in the DHS Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), one of the largest procurement divisions in DHS. Her division was responsible for supporting the Office of the Secretary and other high-visibility offices at DHS headquarters.
Bullock oversaw and managed the award process of the first DHS-wide Program Management, Administrative, Clerical, and Technical Services (PACTS) Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Contracts, which were set-aside for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs).
She has held leadership positions at several federal and local agencies besides DHS including U.S. Agency for International Development, U. S. Department of Commerce, District of Columbia Government, and the U.S. Army. Bullock began her acquisition career with the U.S. Army, successfully completing the Department of Defense contract specialist intern program. She was a Certified Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) with the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) and maintains her FAC-C Level III Certification in Contracting. She has completed various federal executive leadership courses throughout her career.
Bullock has an undergraduate degree in Agricultural Business and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a MBA in International Management from Southeastern University.