Central Area Vice President Eric Henry covered a lot of ground earlier this month, administering oaths of office at two major installations in the Midwest just days apart.
He did the honors for Maria Diggs-Jones, the 39th person and first African American woman to hold the job of postmaster at the Main Post Office in Kansas City, MO.
“I’m truly blessed,” Diggs-Jones said. “This is a dream come true, and I’m looking forward to all the great things the Kansas City team will accomplish.”
In previous roles, Diggs-Jones was a human resources manager, operations programs support manager, delivery support team lead and customer service operations manager.
“We’re all proud of the progress Maria and the Kansas City, Missouri, team is making. I’m excited to see what the future holds,” Henry said.
Two days earlier and 800 miles to the north, Henry swore in Ron Morris as Detroit’s 37th postmaster in a ceremony — with members of his family by his side — at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
“Ron is a top postmaster in Central Area. That is a great accomplishment,” Henry said.
In recent years, USPS has sought to highlight the important role of postmasters and more fully integrate them into the fabric of their communities.
The initiative aims to reiterate the priorities of Delivering for America, to reaffirm the organization’s commitment to the communities it serves, and to highlight USPS career opportunities.
Indeed, like Diggs-Jones, Morris’s new role represents another step in his postal career path.
Previously, Morris was a Post Office operations manager and the Detroit Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager. He was also postmaster for Rochester, Pontiac and Sterling Heights, all in Michigan.
Additionally, he served in the U.S. Army for 20 years.
“I loved serving this country in the Army and I love serving our customers in Detroit,” Morris said. “This is the job I’ve always dreamed of in the Postal Service.”
