Tobyhanna Army Depot Spotlights Employee Excellence

Every quarter, Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) proudly honors one junior and one senior member of its exceptional workforce with the Employee of the Quarter (EoQ) award. Recognizing excellence is never easy at TYAD, where talent and dedication are in abundant supply across every mission. For the 3rd Quarter of FY24, the spotlight shines on Nicole Samsell from the Public Affairs Office and Lauren Leary from the Legal Office, as they earn this well-deserved recognition for their outstanding contributions.

Samsell, this quarter’s junior recipient, joined Team Tobyhanna in November 2021 as an Administrative Assistant in the Production Engineering Directorate’s SATCOM and Site Installation Division. Her career in federal service began about a year and a half prior as she worked for the Social Security Administration. Samsell also has six years of top 40 radio hosting experience, wrote for an arts & entertainment publication, and 20 years in hospitality working in the restaurant business. She earned an Associate of the Arts degree in Communications in 2007 from Luzerne County Community College.

Samsell said she found her way to TYAD in search of reliable, meaningful employment following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[The effects of the pandemic were] a very big eye opener. It forced me to re-examine my goals, pivot, and look towards my future,” said Samsell. “Federal employment was kind of a no brainer because of the unique benefits that are available to us as federal employees. Additionally, it feels gratifying to be able to serve the country in this way.”

Samsell added that she is proud that the work she helps the organization achieve is part of something bigger than just herself.

“Being a civil servant is very humbling because we are a piece of a much larger puzzle. The impact that puzzle has on our society is large,” said Samsell. “That does feel like that is something that is worth taking pride in.”

With a strong background in communications, TYAD’s Public Affairs Office (PAO) was a natural fit for Samsell. She joined the PAO team in January 2023 as a Public Affairs Assistant and is currently serving as a Public Affairs Specialist during a 120-day temporary promotion. She said her role within the team plays strongly into her skillset and makes coming to work feel fun.

“In the current role, I really enjoy having the creative freedom to try to connect with the workforce and collaborate with my colleagues. I’ve always found that I have a knack for connecting with people, which I’ve fostered that throughout all of my years in customer service,” said Samsell. “Working in Public Affairs has been great because it has gotten me out of my chair and into the workforce meeting people and learning about the depot’s various workloads and missions.”

Samsell said her favorite thing about working at TYAD is the endless opportunity for development.

“My favorite thing about working at Tobyhanna has been that leadership fosters an environment where growth and development are truly valued. “When you walk into Tobyhanna and you say that you have a goal, most people around you are eager to help you achieve it,” said Samsell. “The encouragement to push boundaries and continuously improve is something that I really appreciate and is one of the reasons why I really like being a part of the organization,” she said.

Upon receiving the Employee of the Quarter award, Samsell said she was shocked and humbled realizing the team around her helped make it possible.

“I am really humbled from winning the award. I do know that there are dozens of people who are as deserving, if not more deserving, as I am. I can’t believe it, but I know that you are nominated by your peers and your supervisor so knowing that the input that I put in every day is valued and appreciated is very humbling and extremely motivating,” said Samsell. “Sometimes we come into work every day and we just need a little extra pep in our step to remember why we ever started this journey. This has reenergized me.”

Public Affairs Officer Danielle Weinschenk said that Samsell tackles every task head-on and is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure the team’s success.

“During a time of great change for PAO, Nicole has been the constant, ensuring all members of the team have the tools they need to succeed. She willingly took on many additional duties and has played a key role in training new team members (including her new Chief). Nicole has faced these challenges with a smile, never complaining or refusing to take on yet another task,” said Weinschenk. “It is not uncommon to hear her say, ‘Put me in, coach!’ and she encourages her colleagues up, down, and across our organizational chain to do the same. No task is too big or too small for her – and her positive attitude is the catalyst for cultural change here in PAO.”

Visual Information Specialist Nicolo Manzo lauded Samsell’s strong work ethic, infectious positivity, and support for the team.

“Nicole is a phenomenal co-worker and teammate. She continuously goes above and beyond, offering support to the entire team and ensuring its success. Through her proactivity, adaptability, attention to detail, and excellent work ethic, she sets the entire team up for success,” said Manzo. ”Perhaps her greatest contribution to the PAO team is her positive attitude and commitment to the success of not just her own work, but the work of all those around her. If it cannot be measured in hard data, her positive impact is felt among the PAO team and can easily be observed by anyone on the installation. Members of Team Tobyhanna like Nicole Samsell ensure Tobyhanna’s position as a leader in the Department of Defense will endure.”

Samsell credited the team around her, saying they serve as her source of motivation each day.

“This award validates your hard work. You come in every day and you put your nose to it and it is important to be noticed for that. That is not why we do it, but that is certainly something that motivates folks to continue to go the extra mile,” said Samsell. “I really will say that the collaboration and dedication amongst my team inspires me to keep working hard.”

Leary, this quarter’s senior recipient, joined Team Tobyhanna as an Administrative Assistant in the Production Engineering Directorate’s Design, Development, and Fabrication division in 2018, following years working in food service and food service management. Like Samsell, she sought a career with TYAD for a better work-life balance.

After successfully completing developmental assignments across different areas of the installation, Leary found her calling in TYAD’s Legal Office in 2020 when she became the Legal Assistant. While in that role, she obtained her Paralegal Certificate from East Stroudsburg University, which provided her the opportunity to become the Paralegal Specialist in 2021, the role she works in today. Additionally, she is pursuing a Bachelors Degree from Florida International University.

Leary said her time in the Legal Office has taught her much about that line of work, which she had previously not known much about.

“The opportunity [in the Legal Office] opened up and working with the right team really opened my eyes to just how incredible the field is. Every day I’m tackling a new challenge or a different issue,” said Leary. “I love figuring out problems, breaking down issues, and problem solving. It is the perfect place for me with the perfect group of people at the right time in my life.”

Leary lauded the team she works with in the Legal Office, saying that they have helped her grow both personally and professionally.

“I get to take all of these little pieces of all of these brilliant people and it has changed me so much and changed who I am. I listen more, I am more patient, I am calmer under pressure, and I don’t need to be right; I just want to do the right thing. That is a credit to my teammates. I just value that and love that so much,” said Leary. “I work very hard but the team is the reason that I am able to do what I do in the way that I do it. On a daily basis, I learn from their actions.”

Leary said that the welcoming environment fostered by the legal team is part of the reason she was able to earn the EoQ honor.

“I probably would not have won this award in 2018. I think that it takes the right environment, the right co-workers and most of all, the right manager to bring out the best in an employee,” said Leary. “Starting with the environment, it is very collaborative and very safe. You never have to be scared that you’re going to be laughed at for asking a question. You never have to be afraid to ask somebody to explain something more. It is very safe in that way. We have a lot of trust in one another.”

Leary said winning the EoQ was an honor knowing how many people are involved in the nomination process.

“I was very shocked and surprised. It means a lot because I know that it is not just my supervisor nominating me. It goes through a lot of people,” said Leary. “It means a lot that people thought what I do matters, is important, and should be honored.”

She concluded by saying she feels lucky to get to do what she does every day alongside a great team.

“I love the aspect of my job where I get to break down complex issues so that anybody can consume them. I love finding solutions to problems,” said Leary. “I’m lucky that in this job, I get to think critically and tackle new challenges alongside the group of people I work with.”

Chief of the Tobyhanna Legal Office Brandon Gatto said Leary’s unwavering drive, generosity, and meticulousness make her a tremendous asset to the team.

“Lauren is the kind of employee every supervisor hopes for. She has a long and impressive list of accomplishments that earned her this quarter’s award, but she’s invaluable to the Legal Office because of her endless initiative, selflessness, and attention to detail,” said Gatto. “More importantly, she’s an exceptional person. She raises our bar, and she’s a role model for other employees. I am incredibly proud and lucky to have Lauren on our team.”

Associate Counsel Jamie Schelling expressed deep appreciation for Leary’s hard work ethic and thoughtful nature, both of which make her dependable colleague.

“Lauren is an exceptional talent. To say that we are lucky to have her in the Legal Office is an understatement. I have never seen anyone throughout my entire legal career with a more incredible work ethic than Lauren. She quickly recognizes and understands issues and has already come up with three different solutions before I’ve wrapped my brain around what it is that we are talking about,” said Schelling. “She is a crucial part of our office, not only in the value that she adds with her work but also her value as a person. Her quick wit makes work fun and she one of the most thoughtful people-she literally keeps notes in her phone of everyone in the office’s favorite things. Simply put, we are all exponentially better because she is around. It is truly all of her behind the scenes legwork that makes our jobs as attorneys run smoothly, so it is great to see her getting the recognition she deserves.”

The Employee of the Quarter awards and other employee recognition programs align with Tobyhanna’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2035 – specifically the Investing In Our People line of effort. TOBY2035, the depot’s long-range strategic plan, has four focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications. TOBY2035 aims to posture the depot for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense’s premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.

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 3,300 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 deliver integrated C5ISR weapon systems, business systems, and medical sustainment to enable full spectrum combat operations at the point of need.