Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pa –
Depot employees expand skills through Leadership Pocono | Article | The United States Army
Four members of Team Tobyhanna say they’re now better leaders – all thanks to their experiences with a community leadership program.
Jessica Barto, Steven Leibig, Stephen Loxley and Robert Mascola recently graduated from Leadership Pocono, a forum for leadership development, regional and nonprofit education, and professional networking.
Associated with Northampton Community College’s Center for Business and Industry, the program runs 10 months and is designed to bolster the leadership capabilities of participants. Course content includes a two-day leadership retreat, deep dives into local non-profits and community service organizations, and general information about the diverse Pocono region. Participants also must prepare and deliver an educational presentation on a social issue affecting our region.
Barto, a recent transplant to Northeastern Pennsylvania, joined the program to learn more about her new community. She says the experience was extremely valuable.
“Leadership Pocono exceeded my expectations in all aspects. I really appreciated how the program was tailored to help me develop my personal leadership style.” Barto is an information technology specialist in the Resource Management Directorate.
During a long and successful military career, Telecommunications Specialist Stephen Loxley was exposed to many different types of leadership training – yet Leadership Pocono was still a unique experience for him.
“There were lots of highs in the program for me, from the leadership skills assessments to the opportunity to engage with my community. However, the biggest takeaway for me was the wealth of resources available in my own backyard,” he said.
Loxley took the community aspect of Leadership Pocono to heart, spearheading an initiative to collect clothing for those experiencing homelessness and elderly adults living in nursing homes. The class amassed more than 300 hundred pairs of socks to distribute during the coldest months of the year.
Steven Leibig was encouraged to apply for Leadership Pocono by a coworker for professional development purposes and strived to leave the program with a roadmap for his future career. He says he achieved that goal – and much more.
“Prior to attending Leadership Pocono, I felt that I didn't have time for community service. During the program, we learned about several non-profits that benefit the Pocono area – many of which rely on volunteers. This experience inspired me to get involved,” he said.
Despite limitations due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Mascola says his Leadership Pocono experience was well worth it.
“My time in the Leadership Pocono program allowed me to grow my professional network and work on my personal opportunities for improvement. The 360-degree survey, for example, provided me meaningful feedback that has helped me be a more confident leader,” adding that his presentation topic helped further enrich his learning experience.
“My team’s presentation was on the state of education, which exposed me to all types of education in our region, one being charter schools. The process really opened my eyes up and gave me fresh perspective,” he said.
All four graduates lauded the program and encouraged other members of Team Tobyhanna to apply.
“Leadership Pocono is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to grow,” Mascola said. Loxley agreed.
“Anyone at Tobyhanna can benefit from this program.”
More than sixty employees at Tobyhanna participated in community leadership programs last year, part of Tobyhanna’s efforts to better connect with the surrounding community.
Connecting with the community is a foundational tenet of Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2028. The plan aligns with the depot's four strategic focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications and aims to posture the organization for future success.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.
About 3,500 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.