Kara Alice Pitek
People-centered leadership.
Relentless mission execution.
Phone:
347.224.4485
Email:
Location:
Alexandria, VA
Hello! I’m Kara
Senior Program & Acquisition Leader known for turning pressure into precision —
nearly 20 years delivering results through empowered teams, trusted customer partnerships, and a relentless focus on standards across complex, high-stakes environments.
EXPERIENCE
May 2023-present
Consultant
September 2022-October 2024
Program Manager
August 2019-May 2023
Task Order Manager
December 2016-August 2019
Team Lead
September 2014-December 2016
Procurement Analyst
SELF-EMPLOYED
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Provide strategic guidance to federal and corporate clients in program management, procurement portfolio planning and execution, and contract audit.
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Drive operational excellence through resource forecasting, compliance advisory, and proposal development and conformance.
GOLDBELT PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
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Directed a high-performing 14-member team executing pre- and post-award contracting activities and procurement policy oversight for the CDC.
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Created and implemented innovative QA/QC frameworks and systems to reduce PALT.
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Nurtured varied stakeholder relationships while overseeing multi-million-dollar federal procurements and ensuring deliverables aligned with CDC’s mission-critical objectives.
GARUD TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
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Streamlined acquisition processes several FEMA PMOs under an enterprise-wide BPA; introduced SOPs, scheduling tools, and acquisition help desk support that increased mission efficiency, improved inter-departmental communications, and reduced bottlenecks.
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Led strategic sourcing and planning efforts across BPA by building trust and delivering exceptional customer service; endeavors resulted in 20+ additional task order awards.
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Developed procurement training programs and resources (i.e., checklists, templates, workflow diagrams, etc.), empowering PMs and CORs to navigate complex FAR requirements confidently.
ASI GOVERNMENT
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Led FAR compliance audits for USDA; drove corrective actions that improved operational competence and ameliorated overall conformity with federal standards.
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Designed and presented training sessions that enhanced and enriched acquisition workforce capabilities for contracting and PMO personnel.
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Facilitated transition of telecom services for dozens of federal agencies to GSA’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contracts, creating tools and training that enabled smooth adoption.
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
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Crafted procurement policies and procedures that encouraged federal and department compliance and improved subject matter proficiency agency-wide.
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Managed Defense Logistics Agency Energy Interagency Agreement for fuel purchases at all NPS sites across the nation.
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Led regional and agency-wide procurement management reviews, aligning practices with OMB A-123 guidelines to mitigate risks and safeguard resources; composed resultant reports of findings and recommendations.
EDUCATION
Master of Public Administration
Major in Inspector General Studies:
Political and Regulatory Oversight
Bachelor of Arts
Major in Political Science
High School Diploma
Major in Vocal Music
JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
The Master of Public Administration Inspector General (MPA IG) program is a track of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice MPA degree program and is unique among MPA and public policy programs nationally because of its concentration on the assessment and oversight of performance and integrity in public and independent agencies.
BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY
Binghamton University’s Political Science program focuses on American politics, political theory, comparative politics, and international relations. The core courses address various topics in American or comparative political systems and institutions, international conflict and civil war, repression, and foreign policy.
LAGUARDIA HIGH SCHOOL OF MUSIC & ART AND PERFORMING ARTS
The mission of this extraordinary specialized high school is to provide all students with conservatory-level arts training coupled with rigorous academics
FORMER EMPLOYERS & CLIENTS
SKILLS
Contract Audit and Oversight
Workforce Development
Stakeholder Engagement
Procurement Policy Implementation
Risk Management & Mitigation
Contract Negotiation
EXPERTISE
PROCUREMENT QC/QA
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Financial & performance federal contract audit
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Analyze agency acquisition policy and procedures for PMOs and Contracting offices
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Recommendations & roadmaps for procedural guidance, policy development, and corrective action
PROCESS IMPROVEMENT
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Scope & execute Workforce Assessments and analyses; results inform strategic portfolio planning
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Develop & implement Acquisition Workforce training programs, Communities of Practice, and oversight/accountability
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Streamline agency policy tracking
COMMUNICATION
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Bridge gaps between stakeholders with varied interests to facilitate agency mission success
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Collaborate to develop common definitions and ensure universal understanding of teammate roles and responsibilities
SERVICE
Eliminated over $700,000 in actual medical liabilities for families in Virginia since 2023.