Tobyhanna Army Depot observed International Project Management Day on November 4 by shining a spotlight on some of its outstanding project managers and celebrating all project managers that contribute to the organization’s success.
Project management (PM) principles and the associated Project Management Professional certification were established by the Project Management Institute in 1969. The approach is used in government organizations as well as the private sector to drive efficiency. To date, over 1,200 Tobyhanna employees have received more than 33,000 hours of training for the industry-standard methodology.
Early in Joseph Bilotta’s career, he worked on the depot production floor repairing components such as air conditioners for larger systems. While he enjoyed the hands-on work, he says he couldn’t help but wonder where he fit into the sprawling mission of Tobyhanna Army Depot.
“I always wanted to learn about – and be – a part of the bigger picture,” he said. “When I learned about what project managers do, I immediately started working towards a career in this expansive field.”
To achieve his dreams, Bilotta used the depot’s non-duty developmental training program to gain formal education on enterprise resource planning and honed his analytical skills during a stint in the Process Improvement Division. Today, he manages the depot’s rapidly-growing cyber portfolio, which includes 22 programs for an assortment of customers, such as the CECOM Software Engineering Center, Program Executive Office (PEO) Enterprise Information Systems, and PEO Soldier. Depot employees who work with him laud his performance as project manager.
“PM seems to come easy to Joseph. What sets him apart is his enthusiasm and positive attitude towards understanding the cyber mission. He is an inspiration to those around him,” said Donna Askew, chief of the Information Warfare Support Division in Production Engineering.
Looking ahead in his career, Bilotta says he’d like to further his PM education, and work with depot counterparts to grow the cyber mission.
Logistics Management Specialist Stacy Costanzo also earned accolades for her performance as project manager of multiple complex avionics programs for customers such as PEO Soldier and PM CREW. Co-worker Roni Nawrocki praised Costanzo’s leadership and commitment to teamwork.
“Stacy goes above and beyond to make sure her controllers are set up for success, and often pitches in when others have too much on their plates. She is an excellent role model for current and future LMSs.”
Costanzo started her depot career as a secretary in the Production Management Directorate, and soon found herself fascinated by the work done by her peers.
“While I found the dynamics of PM interesting, I was especially was interested in how the work done by LMSs and Production Controllers impacted the depot’s mission,” she said.
PM principles have also been a valuable tool for Costanzo, who noted the great value of risk registers.
“These proactive tools allow us to track potential issues and develop proactive plans to mitigate their impact on our workload,” adding that she encourages those interested in careers as Project Manager to make use of PM.
“Being a Project Manager means you need to be flexible and organized,” she said. “I believe all PM tools are useful and can be applied for success in managing a program.”
Even experienced Project Managers find value in PM, according to Mark Entwistle, a LMS in the Production Management Directorate’s Avionics Project Management Branch.
“I’ve worked in Production Management for 11 years, and learning PM has definitely been useful for me,” he said. “I especially appreciate the standard communication framework, which heightens communication in a way that is beneficial to all.”
Entwistle, who has worked at Tobyhanna for 20 years, brings valuable experience from the production floor to his current position. He supports several Navy programs as an LMS, and serves as depot point of contact for critical Commercial Asset Visibility system, which provides customers visibility and insight during the maintenance process.
Accountant Paul J. Wodarczyk gave Entwistle’s work ethic and mentorship rave reviews.
“Mark is truly in a league of his own when it comes to successfully managing programs. He always does what's right, puts the warfighter first, and is a great steward of the taxpayers' dollars. Mark is an incredible LMS and an even better man.”
Although Entwistle says his career with Team Tobyhanna is winding down, he believes his PM learnings will still be worthwhile in the future.
“The principles of PM are widely applicable, and I know they’ll be a benefit to me no matter where I am.”
The use of PM as a business practice is directly aligned with the depot’s long-range strategic plan, TOBY2028, which has four focus areas: Investing in Our People, C5ISR Readiness, Shape the Future and Strategic Communications. TOBY2028 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 3,700 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is 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.
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