James, Schelling earn Tobyhanna Army Depot Employee of the Quarter honors

Public Affairs Assistant Kelsey James and Associate Counsel Jamie Schelling have been named Tobyhanna Army Depot’s 4th Quarter Fiscal Year 2026 Employees of the Quarter, Junior and Senior Category, respectively.

James was recognized for her outstanding contributions, innovative approach, and dedication to the depot’s mission.

Despite being one of the newest additions to the Public Affairs Office, James has quickly established herself as a crucial member of the team. Her responsibilities span multimedia journalism, strategic project management, community outreach and customer service, where she has consistently demonstrated a strong understanding of the depot’s mission and its support to the warfighter.

One of James’ most notable accomplishments this quarter was coordinating a high-profile visit from Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Materiel Readiness Patrick Kelleher. Taking the lead on preparations, she developed detailed itineraries, coordinated depot tours and synchronized the many moving parts of the visit. Her initiative and attention to detail helped make the visit a success while showcasing Tobyhanna’s capabilities and workforce.

Her ability to recognize opportunities for improvement has also made a lasting impact on the office. When an unexpected logistical challenge arose during a VIP visit, James took accountability and developed proactive corrective workflows to prevent similar issues from happening again.

“Kelsey has quickly distinguished herself as an indispensable asset,” said Public Affairs Officer Danielle Weinschenk. “Her transparent communication, and dedication to continuous improvement make her most deserving of recognition.”

James has also demonstrated an innovative approach to improving office efficiency. Recognizing the time required for daily media and reputation monitoring, she introduced artificial intelligence-assisted workflows that reduced an hour-long daily requirement to just minutes. The improvement has reclaimed dozens of hours of staff productivity while enhancing the accuracy and analytical depth of the office’s reporting.

Additionally, she overhauled preparations for the Assumption of Responsibility ceremony for Tobyhanna Army Depot Sgt. Maj. Cory Alkire, eliminating redundant steps, improving coordination and creating reusable event templates. Her efforts have made future ceremonial preparations more efficient and less demanding on office resources.

Beyond her individual accomplishments, James consistently looks for ways to help her colleagues succeed. She shares technical knowledge, mentors teammates across experience levels and champions Section 508 digital accessibility standards to ensure command communications are accessible to all audiences. Her willingness to step beyond her assigned responsibilities and address potential challenges before they reach leadership reflects her commitment to the depot’s One Team philosophy.

That same selflessness was evident in her support of a fellow service member’s promotion. James volunteered to coordinate the formal ceremony and accompanying celebration, managing protocol requirements, visitor coordination and personal details to create a meaningful occasion for the service member and her family.

“Driven by an uncompromising mission-first mindset, Ms. James sets a benchmark that inspires those around her to elevate their own performance,” said Weinschenk. “Her collaborative spirit, technical proficiency, and dedication to continuous learning not only strengthen depot operations today but also cultivate mutual excellence across the entire command.”

For James, however, the recognition is as much about her teammates as it is about her own accomplishments.

“I am very honored to have this award, but I couldn’t have done it without my team. The people here are so supportive and helpful, it makes it easy to succeed and to do my job to the best of my ability. I like coming into work every day, because it’s always something new and different and challenges me to do my best work,” said James. “I love being able to work hands on when it comes to visits to show everyone how great a place Tobyhanna is and how much we care and support the warfighter.”

Schelling was recognized for her extensive knowledge and efficiency in her execution of a wide-ranging workload.

Per her nomination form, Schelling’s workload included three internal formal investigations, two internal informal investigations, two Inspector General inquiries, eight complex Freedom of Information Act reviews, dozens of administrative actions with zero backlog, and vital operational in-briefings to new employees in Tobyhanna’s Directorate of Installation Services. Schelling also volunteered to work with Tobyhanna Army Depot’s Privacy Act Officer to identify and eliminate redundant forms and with Human Capital Division to eliminate unnecessary legal reviews for routine Management Directed Reassignments, analyzed 2005 Base Realignment and Closure statutory framework during high-level strategic deliberations, and stepped up to serve as an unconflicted counsel for two EEO complaints.

Schelling also served as Acting Chief Counsel for four weeks across June, July, and August during Chief Counsel, and Schelling’s supervisor, Brandon Gatto’s absence.

It was Gatto who wrote Schelling’s nomination. In addition to listing Schelling’s aforementioned impressive accomplishments, he lauded her dedication to organizational and personal ethics.

“Jamie embodies the core Army value of selfless service. She voluntarily absorbs high-stakes responsibilities on leadership’s behalf while maintaining total dedication to her core depot duties. Jamie consistently upheld the office’s high standard of professional excellence, leadership, and moral courage, both across the installation and higher headquarters.”

Tobyhanna Army Depot Associate Counsel Dave Tomaszewski works alongside Schelling in Tobyhanna’s Legal Office and said her expertise and dedication are felt across the organization.

“Jamie’s a great teammate who is always willing to go the extra mile to further the mission. Her advice to our command is thorough and timely. Without hesitation, she voluntarily assumed extra duties and projects from higher commands that requested our assistance. Jamie’s work ethic and efforts are invaluable assets to our Legal Office, Tobyhanna Army Depot and the Army,” said Tomaszewski.

Tobyhanna Army Depot is designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, electronics, avionics, and missile guidance and control. TYAD provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support through depot-level repair, systems integration, software and cyber engineering, and field support. A key enabler of operational readiness for Joint and Allied Forces globally, TYAD leverages new and emerging technologies to further expand the Department of War’s organic capabilities for microelectronics, secure communications infrastructure, uncrewed aircraft systems, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, and the Army’s Next Generation Combat Systems. TYAD’s ability to rapidly surge production, deploy field support teams, and scale for contingency or theater-level operations makes it a vital contributor to strategic readiness and operational reach.