David Potocek is a contracting branch supervisor who serves Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington at Public Works Department (PWD) Annapolis.
Potocek serves as a business advisor, assists his peers with the acquisition of required goods and services and oversees contracting business practices to ensure that all the work products are compliant and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. Along with his supervisory responsibilities, he also manages a contract action workload.
“I work with my peers to manage requirements and develop acquisition strategies to ensure that the mission is met at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA),” said Potocek.
Originally from Glenwood, Md., Potocek attended high school at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. He later attended Towson University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 2002-2008.
Potocek lives with his family in Severna Park, Md. He enjoys being on or near the water, and traveling with his wife of six years and his “wonderful” 17-month old daughter.
“Some of my favorite places that I have travelled include the Amalfi Coast in Italy, New Zealand, Budapest and Panama.”
Potocek and family recently returned from Panama, where they saw the Panama Canal and spent their days on the beach. His mother grew up in the Panama Canal Zone, where he has a large extended family and visits frequently.
Potocek began his career as a contract specialist in the intern program with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), where he worked six years before joining the NAVFAC Washington team in October 2020.
“I am very fortunate to lead a very dedicated and driven contracting team at PWD Annapolis, comprised of very experienced contracting officers, motivated interns and exceptional mid-career contract specialists.”
The contracting branch is divided into two teams: Construction and Architect/Engineering, and Facilities and Services. Both teams perform functions critical to the operation and improvement of USNA.
Potocek says the best part of the job is being able to see the tangible results of a construction contract that he awarded.
“I can walk around USNA and see a project progress from the initial phase, to completion and ultimate utilization for its intended purpose. The Navy has installations all over the world, but there is only one Naval Academy. Every contract that I or my team awards is in direct support of the important mission at USNA.”
As a contract specialist at the naval academy, Potocek is responsible for the preparation of all contracting documents to include: solicitations, modifications and awards. He also performs market research to determine the best acquisition strategy for a particular requirement, collaborates with technical personnel to ensure that requirements best meet the government’s needs without restricting competition, reviews proposals, and negotiates to ensure that pricing is fair and reasonable to the government.
Potocek understands his role in government contracting and how beneficial contracting is for the government.
“Contracting is extremely beneficial to Department of Defense because it allows the government to access high-quality products and services from a wide base of resources at competitive prices. The ability to leverage industry to solve complex problems allows the government “as needed” access to professionals and capabilities that it does not have in-house.”
Potocek has some advice for anyone interested in making contracting a career.
“If you enjoy working to solve complex problems and collaborating with professionals across multiple disciplines, contracting is a great field.”