TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- A senior leader here known for his aggressive management style and deep respect for the employees he leads was named one of the C4ISR Top Ten Personnel of 2015.

U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command officials chose Jody Oustrich based on his contributions to the C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) mission during the calendar year. Top Ten winners were picked from a pool of military and civilian nominees, all ranks and grades. Each will receive a superior civilian service award and a plaque.

Oustrich is the director of Tobyhanna's C4ISR Directorate, which provides military assets through a worldwide network of permanent and deployed personnel located here and in 48 geographically separated Forward Repair Activities.

"Jody is a courageous leader with a tenacity for change management," said Frank Zardecki, depot deputy commander. "I consider him to be a primary driver of Tobyhanna's outstanding success."

In 2015, Oustrich directed the activities of two of the depot's largest directorates: Systems Integration and Support, and C4ISR. During that time he paved the way for 1,700 employees to execute over 3 million direct labor hours, exceeding the depot's annual plan by nearly 18 percent. The increased productivity generated an additional 20 percent in revenue, surpassing other Army depots and arsenals, while providing cost effective performance to the joint warfighter.

"My job is to take away as many of the roadblocks that prevent employees from accomplishing their mission," said Oustrich, commending the "extra ordinary" accomplishments of everyone who plays a part in building up the depot's reputation. "No leader can be truly successful without the support of all the dedicated men and women who work here."

The best part of the job is interacting with the employees who work on the shop floor, he said, noting that it's essential to create an environment that values all members of the Army Team. For instance, the directorate implemented professional development programs to improve the management and leadership skills of its 73 supervisors.

"He has established a positive environment for everyone in the [C4ISR] directorate, encouraging and giving individuals an opportunity to be rewarded for going beyond what is expected," Zardecki said.

The skillful director joined Team Tobyhanna in 2003 after working in the private sector for more than six years. An advocate of education, Oustrich has a bachelor's degree in engineering and a master's degree in engineering management. He credits his parents and family for teaching him the value of hard work. Attendance at several management courses has helped him to become a better leader.

Oustrich talked about his education and first job out of college when got the chance to travel to places such as Japan, Greece, Korea, Taiwan, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, France, and almost every port on the east, west and gulf coasts. Traveling the world helped him realize how fortunate Americans are to live in the "greatest country in the world."

"I have a lot to be thankful for and that gratitude was the driving force behind my working for the Defense Department," he said. "It gives me a lot of satisfaction designing, repairing, fabricating and overhauling systems that help our military remain the greatest fighting force in the world."

Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for C4ISR systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR 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 3,200 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 research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.