# DLA Aviation supervisor builds trust within teams, wins September Leadership Award

/ Published Nov. 17, 2020
Richmond, Va., 
Brian Kovach credits his success to his team, whose hard work he says, helped earn him the September Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Leadership Award.

“I feel strongly about employee recognition and ensuring that their hard work and contributions do not go unnoticed,” said Kovach. “Since March, I have nominated four of my employees for the Aviation Employee of the Month recognition. Three of them have represented the Customer Operations Directorate with one winning the Aviation Employee of the Month Award.”

                (Courtesy Graphic)                            White receives March Leadership Award: nurtures success through relationships                            (Courtesy Graphic)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Natalie SkeltonVIRIN: 200826-D-D0441-1001As the chief for DLA Aviation’s Customer Operations Directorate’s Army Customer Operations Division’s, Weapon System Support Branch, Kovach leads seven customer account specialists and two team leads providing life cycle logistics support for over 3,000 Army Aviation Weapon systems. His team manages the material supportability objectives for 75,000 national stock numbers in direct support to the division’s five weapon systems program managers and Army Program Offices, while maintaining an outstanding 92% material availability rate.

According to the DLA Leadership Award nomination submitted by Army Col. Woodard “Buddy” Hopkins, chief of the Army Customer Facing Division and Craig Hughes, deputy division chief, “[Kovach] is an innovator in every sense of the word, always forward thinking and several steps ahead. He is a staunch advocate for the DLA employee recognition program.”

Hughes and Hopkins said Kovach constantly challenges his team to “rethink” their responsibilities and to pursue the next question in resolving material shortfalls and weapon system impacts. 

“Due to the nature of our work being list management driven, our processes haven’t changed during the pandemic,” said Kovach. “What we have restructured is how we capture what we accomplish on a daily basis with our daily tracker. Through team collaboration, they have recommended changes to our original tracker to more accurately account for actions initiated, cost savings and days saved, sales generated, and other actions that contribute to weapon system availability.”

Kovach says he believes in employee development and helping his team become the best team they can be. Prior to the pandemic, he conducted desk side reviews and training to encourage cross talk amongst his employees.

“I truly enjoyed the spontaneity of those conversations and the team building that occurred,” Kovach said. “Now, those discussions take place over Skype or during weekly staff calls. My team is resilient and has adapted to our new normal.”

As the recipient of the September award, Kovach will be recognized at an upcoming DLA Aviation Leadership Forum. He also receives a DLA Aviation Commander’s Coin, a certificate and a designated parking space. Recipients may also receive either a cash award or a time-off award.