Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office Director Tiffany Wood was one of just nine Army civilians to be presented the 2022 Installation Management Command Stalwart Award, during a recent ceremony in San Antonio, Texas.
The award recognizes individuals across IMCOM, who have demonstrated the highest standards of performance and significantly contributed to the command’s success and responsibilities, officials said.
Wood “leads an exceptional team of professionals, and we are fortunate to have her on the garrison staff,” wrote Col. Anthony Pollio, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander, in a June 7 email to the Fort Leonard Wood population announcing the win.
“Her leadership, passion and dedication provide an enduring example for all to emulate,” Pollio wrote in Wood’s nomination package. “She genuinely embodies the spirit and vision that is Installation Management Command.”
The Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office provides support for both the garrison and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command via the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence, Pollio wrote. And in this unique position, Wood “effectively collaborates with both commands to protect and promote the positive image of the U.S. Army,” he said.
“After all, our stakeholders and communities do not distinguish between IMCOM and TRADOC, but see only the U.S. Army, and Ms. Wood’s passion and mission lie within telling our Army’s story,” Pollio wrote.
Under Wood’s direction, Fort Leonard Wood undertook numerous initiatives that not only told the Army’s story to a diverse audience but also highlighted and supported several key priorities, Pollio wrote.
Some of those initiatives included the Fort Leonard Wood Student of the Month program that recognizes students from area junior high and high schools who live the Army Values. In 2022, 63 students from 12 area school districts were recognized.
Wood coordinated with the Waynesville School District and local recruiters to hold the Community Salute to Service in May 2022, at Waynesville High School, a formal ceremony where 60 area high school seniors were recognized by the Missouri governor and the MSCoE commanding general for joining the armed forces.
Wood was also instrumental to the Meet Your Army Back-to-School Bash, held in July 2022, on and around Gammon Field to showcase Army life and promote the multitude of incentives and opportunities to serve. More than 1,500 people attended the event, which targeted educators, influencers and potential prospects, and featured an Oath of Enlistment with 14 future Soldiers, live demonstrations, hands-on and interactive activities, informational booths, static and military vehicle displays, barracks tours, lunch at a dining facility and free school supplies from FMWR. As a result, local recruiters received 200 referrals and 30 solid leads from this event.
Additional events, of which Wood led the planning, included Read Across America in March, when 71 Soldiers read to nearly 3,000 students at area elementary schools; Army Week in St. Louis that showcased chemical, engineer and military police Soldiers to roughly 50,000 people at various events; and military appreciation days with the Springfield and St. Louis Cardinals, and the Kansas City Chiefs, along with Major League Baseball and National Football League playoff games that highlighted our Soldiers to millions of fans and viewers.
Beyond the planning of community events featuring Fort Leonard Wood service members and civilians, Wood is also a media relations expert, Pollio wrote. Her team’s work during a tragic missing Soldier situation was applauded by not only the MSCoE commanding general and the Army, but by local law enforcement and emergency responders. Under Wood’s leadership in 2022, 130 press releases were sent out, hundreds of media queries were provided with responses and 45 interviews were facilitated — to include a media round table with the Chief of Staff of the Army — that generated positive, external coverage of Fort Leonard Wood, IMCOM and the Army.
Also during 2022, the Public Affairs Office — under Wood’s leadership — created 1,200 social media posts across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram that had a total combined reach of 20 million, and an average monthly reach of about 2 million; wrote 300 articles shared locally and by other platforms, such as “The Eye on AMC,” “The IMCOM News Sampler,” TRADOC’s “Morning News Report” and the Army’s homepage; created 75 videos and live streams that had over 11 million total views — an increase of 10 million from 2021; and managed the Fort Leonard Wood website that averaged 150K monthly visitors.
For her part, Wood said she is honored to receive such a prestigious award within the Army’s Installation Management Command.
“Every day, I have the privilege of leading a remarkable group of public affairs specialists, who do an incredible job at telling the Army’s story, are committed and dedicated to excellence, and push me to be the best I can be,” Wood said. “To be recognized for leading such a great team is a huge honor — I take great pride in it, and I hope to share that pride with my team.”
