Karen Thorngren

Karen Thorngren serves as Flight Chief, Support & Acquisition for the 87th Combat Support Group under the Department of the Air Force, where she leads the planning, solicitation, and award of mission-critical contracts to sustain air base infrastructure and operational readiness. Her portfolio encompasses facility modernization, construction services, and technical support systems essential to maintaining high-readiness environments for aircraft and personnel. She oversees the full lifecycle of acquisition programs—from needs assessment through contract closeout—ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations and Air Force installation standards. Her work directly supports the agency’s core mission of sustaining critical infrastructure while advancing environmental and safety compliance across military installations. Thorngren maintains consistent partnerships with a core group of experienced contractors including PAETZOLD CONSTRUCTION CO INC, SEQUOIA CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED, RANCO CONSTRUCTION INC, THE PASSANANTE GROUP, LLC, and XENTURIS LLC. These vendors are regularly selected for their proven expertise in military-grade construction, prefabricated building systems, and real estate support services. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance history, technical capability, and reliability, fostering long-term vendor relationships built on accountability and mission alignment rather than transactional engagement. Thorngren’s procurement strategy reflects a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of her awards issued under no set-aside classifications. While she does not currently utilize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her focus remains on securing the highest-quality technical solutions through competitive bidding, ensuring mission requirements are met with maximum efficiency and compliance. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 531390 (Other Activities Related to Real Estate) and NAICS 332311 (Prefabricated Metal Building and Component Manufacturing), reflecting her specialization in modular construction, facility expansion, and structural support systems. She routinely procures prefabricated metal buildings, site development services, and real estate management solutions tailored to Air Force installation needs, demonstrating deep technical familiarity with military construction standards and infrastructure lifecycle management.