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News | March 6, 2020

Women's History Month spotlight: Stephany Officer

By DLA Energy Public Affairs

Editor’s note: March is Women’s History Month and this year’s Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute theme is “Honoring the Past, Securing the Future.” Throughout the month, we will spotlight Defense Logistics Agency Energy employees who are honoring their history and making a difference through their accomplishments both in their workplace and community.

Describe your job: I am a division chief in DLA Energy Energy’s Bulk Petroleum Products business unit. I supervise a team responsible for procuring Bulk Petroleum Products in the Atlantic, European and the Mediterranean regions. We also support the National Science Foundation’s Deep Freeze program in Antarctica and other programs in the United States. 

What makes you proud about your job? I retired from the U.S. Army as a Petroleum Supply Specialist. It gives me great pride to continue my work in the petroleum industry where I was once a Warfighter myself.  

What was your most recent professional success story? My team received an urgent first-time requirement request for the procurement of jet fuel to the Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy. This effort was a result of a temporary inoperability of the Italian pipeline responsible for the movement of fuel throughout the island. We worked diligently through the holiday season to ensure that all crucial elements were captured and addressed to ensure seamless performance upon contract award. Despite encountering unique hurdles along the way, the team forged ahead and awarded a contract to support the Warfighter requirements.  

What would you consider your greatest accomplishment? Professionally, it was when I received the Humanitarian Effort Certificate in support of the Operation United Assistance. Personally, it was becoming a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a dream I had since I was a young child. The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is the first Greek-lettered sorority established by African American college women. 

How do you honor your past? Mentoring my children, grandchildren and young family members by educating them on our proud history and ensuring they understand the struggles that our ancestors experienced. For example, I took my daughter and grandchildren to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. where they received a truthful history lesson of our culture from past to present. 

How do you make a difference? I volunteer at my local food pantry to help alleviate hunger. I also volunteer at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, by assisting with recreational activities for nursing home residents.