Tracy Riley spent her entire career in government contracting. Today, she serves as vice president of contracts for Chugach Government Solutions, LLC, building a renewed contracts team and contract lifecycle management system to support the company’s needs.
“I always wanted to do contracts,” she told WashingtonExec.
After college, she pivoted from law school plans to attend graduate school and receive her M.A. and M.B.A. She soon landed in procurement and subcontracting, supporting a large NASA construction contract in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“The opportunity at NASA introduced me to the contracts field outside of law,” she said. “My professional journey has allowed me to influence business decisions, contribute to revenue generation, and build and lead high-performing contracts teams. This path has been instrumental, leading to a seat at the corporate table during key business moments.”
Riley worked in defense contracting, supported civilian agencies, managed state and local contracts, earned her TS/SCI clearance and moved into the intelligence space, where she has spent the longest part of her career.
“I have supported businesses of every size in ever increasing roles,” she said.
Each step and transition in her career prepared her for the next challenge. In 2024, an executive search firm contacted her about the role with Chugach Government Solutions.
“I quickly learned that this position offered the opportunity to leverage all the skills I’d developed, the culmination of every experience,” Riley said.
Below, Riley expands on her career, current growth opportunities and priorities, the importance of mentorship and more.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support?
I knew of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) but wasn’t aware of the driving force behind the corporations. My initial interview provided insight into the true purpose and mission of Chugach Government Solutions. I learned the concept of “profits with a purpose” that still resonates with me. In each contract we negotiate, each proposal we submit and every strategy we employ, it is with the understanding that we have a responsibility to create opportunities for the Chugach people.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission/growth strategy?
My top priorities are related to building a renewed contracts team, evaluating and establishing policies and procedures as well as identifying and implementing a new CLM system that supports our needs. Chugach’s investment in the department and infrastructure will provide real-time visibility into our contract health, allow us to respond and engage quickly with our customers.
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities in your current field or portfolio you support, and what do you anticipate to be your customers’ top pain points?
What I hear most from our customers is the need for speed, flexibility, and compliance — they’re under pressure to deliver results quickly while managing tighter regulations and workforce constraints.
We are seeing strong growth opportunities aligned with federal priorities across all of Chugach’s service lines — specifically around technology and cybersecurity such as secure network engineering, cloud technologies, cyber resilience, deployable communications, and data-driven infrastructure support, as well as construction and infrastructure modernization, and mission-critical base operations – especially in complex, remote environments across Europe and IndoPaCom. We are well-positioned to support mission success across all operational environments — land, sea, air, cyber and space.
How are you and your team planning to address/prepare for these opportunities?
To meet these needs, our contracts team is focused on improving internally. We are enhancing our pre-award strategy, investing in tools that improve cycle time and transparency, and streamlining our compliance processes to ensure efficient contract execution.
How important is mentorship & networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
I think mentorship and networking are indispensable in the GovCon space. Both have been instrumental in my personal and professional growth. Early on, I was fortunate to have mentors who not only taught me the technical aspects of government contracting but also helped me navigate the corporate world. Many of my mentors have evolved into lifelong friends.
What is something most people don’t know about you personally?
I am a big fan of Audible and enjoy jigsaw puzzles.