SEMBACH, Germany - As Installation Management Command Europe prepares to take over its newest garrison in Poland, Joanne Fitzgerald is in the middle of the action to make sure the transition from Area Support Group Poland, which falls under 21st Training Support Command, goes smoothly.
As IMCOM-Europe’s lead strategic planner for the effort, Fitzgerald’s job is unique within the organization.
“It’s very exciting to be a part of such a historic project,” she said.
Fitzgerald’s road to her current position began when she “dabbled” in ROTC in college.
“I went to the ROTC basic leadership course at Fort Knox, which is like boot camp light with kid gloves,” she said. “I've never been more proud of accomplishing anything in my life in the sense it's expected I graduate high school. It was expected I graduate college. This was the most physically and mentally challenging month of my life.”
While she decided she didn’t want to pursue a career as a Soldier, Fitzgerald still found a way to serve. Straight from college she took a job at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort in Garmisch, Germany, were she set up conference spaces.
I loved the (Army) sense of camaraderie, the teamwork and feeling like I was part of something bigger than myself,” Fitzgerald said. “The idea of serving my country in a civilian capacity really resonated with me.”
As a Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation employee at Edelweiss, Fitzgerald leveraged her finance degree into a position within the comptroller’s department. Her career has included positions with Family and MWR in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Working at a garrison while moving up the ranks in Family and MWR made Fitzgerald realize she still had a lot to learn, she said.
Realizing she needed to broaden her skill set to meet her future goal of becoming a deputy garrison commander, Fitzgerald said she was inspired to move out of Family and MWR by a speaker during a Civilian Education System course. The speaker talked about a career rope wall versus a career ladder.
“Sometimes you have to move laterally or down to eventually move up in this sense that there may be times where you need to broaden your expertise and your knowledge,” Fitzgerald said.
“I've benefited from having amazing mentors, who advocated on my behalf, took chances on me and helped me grow,” Fitzgerald said. “For me, that's something that I continue to seek out. But also, as I've progressed in my career, I try, when I see potential in someone else, to do the same for them.”
When she isn’t at work planning, Fitzgerald is planning trips, curled up with a good book or listening to podcasts. Travel planning includes scheduling “crazy things” like skydiving, cage diving with great white sharks and bungee jumping.
“I love to travel,” she said. “I am almost on country 70. My goal is to always have more countries I've been to than my age, so I've built a significant buffer!”
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