Post Office Leadership
A New Era Begins – DeJoy takes Oath as Postmaster General
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy addresses attendees during the June 16 installation ceremony.
Louis DeJoy took the oath of office as the nation’s 75th Postmaster General on June 16, expressing optimism for the Postal Service’s future and appreciation for the organization’s employees.
“Together, we will put the Postal Service on a successful trajectory for generations to come,” DeJoy said during a ceremony at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC.
The event was held in a meeting room named for Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first Postmaster General. Participants observed social distancing guidelines during the ceremony, which featured a small audience that included members of the Board of Governors and the executive leadership team.
Board Chairman Robert M. “Mike” Duncan administered the oath to DeJoy. John M. Barger, a governor who chaired the committee that selected DeJoy for the position, was also present, while the board’s other governors, Ron A. Bloom and Roman Martinez IV, participated in the ceremony through videoconferencing.
The board announced DeJoy’s appointment in May following an extensive nationwide search. He succeeds Megan J. Brennan, who retired June 12.
DeJoy spent his 35-year career in logistics, including serving as chairman and chief executive officer of New Breed Logistics, an award-winning USPS contractor that supplied the organization with support for multiple processing facilities.
He is the fifth Postmaster General to join the Postal Service from the private sector since the organization became an independent establishment within the executive branch in 1971.
DeJoy addressed employees prior to taking the oath, via a video message distributed throughout the organization.
A ‘Strong and Steady’ Leader – DeJoy Honors Brennan with Award
In his first act as Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy paid tribute to his predecessor.
DeJoy announced on June 15 that he will honor Megan J. Brennan with the Benjamin Franklin Award, the Postal Service’s highest award.
“Megan has dedicated her life and career to the United States Postal Service,” DeJoy said in a video message to employees. “She started as a letter carrier, rose through the ranks, and became our nation’s first female Postmaster General. Over the past five years, she has provided the Postal Service with strong and steady leadership under some of the most challenging circumstances.”
DeJoy added that Brennan, who retired June 12, always put the interests of the Postal Service and its workers first, including earlier this year when she delayed her retirement to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
“Over the past six weeks, she has been an invaluable resource to me – sharing her knowledge, enthusiasm and advice. And I know I will continue to call on that advice as I move forward in this job. … I can think of no one more deserving of this honor, and who is more deserving of our respect and admiration. Megan, we thank you for everything you have given to the Postal Service and the American public,” DeJoy said.
Franklin served as America’s first Postmaster General from 1775-1776. DeJoy is the 75th Postmaster General.
Successful Tenure – Think Tank Thanks PMG Megan Brennan for Guiding the USPS
Megan J. Brennan concluded her five-year tenure as Postmaster General on June 12.
Americans owe Megan J. Brennan, the nation’s 74th Postmaster General, “a big thank you,” Paul Steidler wrote in an article for Lexington Institute, a public policy think tank.
Steidler, a senior fellow with the Arlington, VA-based institute, highlighted multiple accomplishments during Brennan’s tenure, which recently concluded with her retirement and succession by the 75th Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy.
The article commended Brennan for showing “grace and poise” and winning “widespread respect” as she represented the Postal Service in matters with Congress, the administration, labor unions, the mailing industry and others.
It also pointed out that “under her leadership, the Postal Service performed its mission to bind the nation together, despite the formidable challenges” of the coronavirus pandemic and other issues.
As the nation’s first female Postmaster General, Brennan’s story “is one of success and it should be shared with young women especially,” the article concludes, adding “best wishes, and a profound thank you, to Megan Brennan as she enters retirement.”
The full article is available on the institute’s website at –
https://www.lexingtoninstitute.org/thank-youpostmaster-general-brennan/
Beyond the Curve – Officers Resume Duties Following Pandemic Service
Chief Information Officer Kristin Seaver served as incident commander for the COVID-19 Response Command.
The Postal Service transitioned its COVID-19 Response Command team back into the organization’s leadership structure.
The team was established in March to manage the Postal Service’s comprehensive response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“As we transition our response to life and work beyond the curve, the level of activity and focus required of the COVID-19 Response Command structure has shifted from the urgency of response to ongoing operations in a world with COVID-19,” Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan wrote in a memo earlier in the month.
The five officers who were part of the group have returned to their regular duties and now serve as the lead points of contact for the coronavirus response as part of their official duties.
The officers, their titles and their COVID-19 area of responsibilities are:
Kristin Seaver, chief information officer (executive leadership team coordination)
Simon Storey, employee resource management vice president (employee support)
Joshua Colin, acting processing and maintenance operations vice president (operational coordination)
Mark Guilfoil, supply management vice president (supply chain)
Steve Monteith, marketing vice president (customer outreach)
Janice Walker, corporate communications vice president, will continue to coordinate all communications related to the pandemic, while David Ellis, managing counsel, will continue to coordinate all legal concerns on behalf of the general counsel’s office.
Additionally, several executives who filled in for the officers have now returned to their duties: Scott Bombaugh, engineering systems vice president; Jeffrey Becker, international operations executive director; Linda DeCarlo, safety manager; Karen Pompanella, commercial products and services manager; Tom Foti, product management executive director; and Shahpour Ashaari, engineering software and testing director.