WIESBADEN, Germany – An engineer with Installation Management Command-Europe’s G4 Directorate here was recently selected as a recipient of the command’s most prestigious award.
Stefanie Poulsen, team lead for utilities procurement, was one of 18 people recognized from garrisons worldwide with the 2024 IMCOM Stalwart Award.
“Stefanie epitomizes the values and traits of an IMCOM Stalwart,” said IMCOM-E Director Tommy Mize. “She is a truly exceptional professional who demonstrates the utmost dedication to IMCOM’s mission. Stefanie repeatedly goes above and beyond to make impactful contributions and inspires her team and her peers to do the same.”
The Stalwart Award honors those who distinguish themselves by outstanding performance to enable the command’s success and exceed the call of duty to achieve Army and IMCOM objectives. It is the highest honor bestowed on civilians working in IMCOM who promote the readiness and resilience of people and installations.
As the utilities procurement team lead, Poulsen supports garrisons across Europe with all aspects of utility contracting to ensure sustained delivery of essential services. In this role, she has identified or implemented numerous cost-saving measures, regulatory changes, and innovative technological or financial solutions that drive the command forward in accomplishing its mission. As a result of her discovery that the U.S. Government is exempt from certain German surcharges in gas and district heat contracts, the Army now saves over €2,000,000 per year in surcharge fees.
Her responsibilities include advising and supporting garrisons in establishing new utilities contracts or contract modifications; in negotiating with suppliers when large-scale capital improvement efforts need to be implemented or cost structures require revision; and in implementing energy security and host-nation goals for decarbonization.
“Above all, however, Stefanie has excelled at leading, motivating, and empowering her team,” said her supervisor Emily Babbitt de Nicasio, chief of the Energy, Environment, and Utilities Branch. “As a team leader, she contributes to IMCOM’s mission not only through her own great work, but through the development and inspiration of her team members.”
Under her leadership, IMCOM-E ensures the delivery of contracted utilities in support of over 180,000 people, to include electricity, district heat, natural gas, water supply, wastewater, and refuse. Her supervisor noted that while continuous utility service delivery is essential to the safety and comfort of the entire supported population, it’s especially crucial to sustaining the warfighting missions of two U.S. Combatant Commands.
“The most challenging aspect of my job is the fact that utilities supply is not only provision of a cable and power flows,” said Poulsen, a North Rhine Westphalia native born in Münster, who has been with IMCOM-E since 2018. “It is the changing environment that requires reexamining utilities supply contracts and implementing aspects such as energy security, decarbonization and onsite power production.”
While she has been with IMCOM-E for the past seven years, she has worked for the U.S. government since 2002, with positions at the Defense Logistics Agency, Army and Air Force Exchange Service, and U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden.
“With IMCOM-Europe I have the privilege to get to see different garrisons, learn about their challenges and get a broader view of different approaches in utilities procurement,” she said. “Establishing a new utilities contract can range from simple water supply to complex privatization contracts with large-scale energy transformation projects. It can be a challenging process to renegotiate all aspects of a complex contract, it sometimes takes years, but it is extremely rewarding as we cross the finish line.”
Poulsen exemplifies all the principles of IMCOM’s Service Culture Campaign, said Babbitt de Nicasio. “She provides outstanding service with superior integrity and work ethic, has great initiative, demonstrates a clear and strategic vision, communicates clearly, empowers her team, and is always courteous and respectful of others.”
In addition to Poulsen, Tim Volk, who retired from service with IMCOM-Europe G-9 in 2024, was named a Stalwart Award winner. The other IMCOM-E recipients were: Sonia Paoloni and Thomas Raffaello (USAG Italy), Michael Engen (USAG Ansbach), and Christine Quijote-Oaks (USAG Benelux).
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