Kristyn Smith serves as the chief of staff of Tobyhanna Army Depot. The organic industrial base organization consists of about 3,500 personnel performing diversified logistics, communications-electronics repair, administrative and related support missions. The depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense.
In this position, Smith serves as the senior advisor to the commanding officer and deputy commander, supervises seven staff offices and reviews and directs the administrative actions of eight directorates. She assumed this role in April 2021.
Smith earned a Masters of Science degree in Organizational Leadership and Development and Human Resources, plus a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and Marketing from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In 2020, she achieved Defense Acquisition University, Fort Belvoir, Virgina, level II certification in Life Cycle Logistics. Smith also studied leadership decision making at the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program, Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2021, she completed the Institute for Defense & Business Aviation and Industrial Readiness Program’s, Lean Six Sigma Executive Champion Certification training at North Carolina State University.
During her career, Smith held leadership positions at Tobyhanna Army Depot such as chief of the Production Management Directorate’s Sustainment Planning Division from 2020-2021. As chief, she directed the depot’s business development initiatives to include acquisition transitions to sustainment and public-to-private partnerships with customers from each branch of the military, private defense sectors and government agencies.
Smith oversaw the telling of the Army and Tobyhanna Army Depot story while assigned as the depot’s public affairs officer (PAO) from 2017-2020. As PAO, she was the principal communication advisor to the commander on communication strategy, visual information planning and public affairs requirements.
In 2012, Smith served on a long-term training assignment as executive officer for the Director of Logistics and Engineering, Integrated Logistics Support Center, U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Smith began her depot career in 2010. She worked in Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Business Management Directorate and later Command Initiatives Group as a management analyst.
She has been actively involved with depot strategic planning efforts since 2013. Smith served as the lead for the depot’s strategic communications line of effort from 2017-2020 and the shape the future line of effort from 2020-2021.
Her awards and decorations include the Army Superior Civilian Service Award, Army Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, Tobyhanna Army Depot Supervisor of the Quarter, and several performance awards.