Shawn O’Donnell has joined the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as Procurement Policy Director, bringing more than three decades of acquisition, contracting, and procurement leadership experience across the federal government, including extensive service within the Department of Homeland Security.
O’Donnell most recently served as a Supervisory Contracting Officer at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where he led a major detention and transportation contracting portfolio supporting Enforcement and Removal Operations. His responsibilities included oversight of detention facilities, transportation and removal services, skip tracing programs, and agreements with state and local detention partners.
His federal acquisition career spans numerous agencies and mission areas. Prior to ICE, O’Donnell led information technology acquisitions supporting IRS modernization efforts as a Supervisory Contracting Officer at the Internal Revenue Service. He also served as Head of Contracting Activity and Director of Contracts Management for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, overseeing contracting operations responsible for more than $175 million annually in services and supplies.
Within the U.S. Forest Service, O’Donnell served as Branch Chief for Procurement Policy and as the national lead for acquisition policy, internal controls, and workforce certification programs. Earlier in his career, he held acquisition leadership roles at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he led acquisition process improvement, workforce development, and knowledge management initiatives.
O’Donnell also brings legislative and national security experience through his service as a Congressional Fellow with the Brookings Institution and the office of former Senator Kelly Ayotte, where he analyzed and drafted legislation focused on national security and acquisition reform, including contributions to provisions within the National Defense Authorization Act.
His public service career began in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for more than 13 years as a Contracting Officer before moving into a series of increasingly senior acquisition and procurement leadership positions across government.
