Makoto P. Braxton

Makoto Braxton is the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Center for Administration within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  His responsibilities include oversight and management of administrative functions within the ASPR including budget and finance, contracting, information technology, facilities, and records management.

Makoto has served at ASPR since 2017.  His current permanent position is the Head of Contracting Activity at ASPR.  Makoto leads and manages an acquisition enterprise that has obligated over $11 billion in a single fiscal year while executing over 1,700 individual actions in a single fiscal year.  The portfolio of acquisition mechanisms at ASPR totals nearly $100 billion.

Prior to becoming the HCA at ASPR in 2022, Makoto served as the Director of the Contracts and Grants Division, the Acting Director of the Division of Assistance, Acquisition Policy, and Program Oversight, and the Chief of ASPR Support Division.

Before coming to HHS and ASPR, Makoto served as a Supervisory Contract Specialist for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency within the Department of the Treasury, a Cost/Price Analyst for the Army Contracting Command – National Capital Region, and a Contract Specialist for the Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

Prior to joining Federal service in 2008, Makoto worked for the City of Tucson, Arizona as a Senior Contract Officer and was an Estimator and Project Manager for a private general contractor.

Makoto holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Business Economics from the University of Arizona.