In Hawaiian, “ohana” means “family” in all its manifestations.
That ohana spirit marked the recent installation of seven new postmasters in Maui County: Michelle Almeida (Kihei), Danielle Boteilho (Makawao), David Boydstun (Lahaina), Virgillio “Jun” Cariazo (Kula), Chris Harris (Puunene), Brandyann Moore (Kaunakakai), and Marlene Nagata (Paia).
“This event is a celebration … of our commitment to the shared values that bind the community together,” said Hawaii District Manager Eileen Veach.
It was also an all-in-the-family event for Almeida, Harris and Boteilho.
“Throughout my career, I’ve talked about my ‘postal ohana’ at my Post Office, on Maui, and in Hawaii. Serving as postmasters with Chris on the same island seems like a natural extension of that ohana,” Almeida said of Harris, her son.
And Boteilho’s family has served in leadership positions at Maui Post Offices across three generations.
“I take pride in the fact that I’m serving as postmaster in the same office that was once overseen by my grandma. That is very special to me,” she said.
“My family is proof that with hard work and dedication, a postal career can lead to high levels of personal and professional success.”
Delivering a smile
Bill Rubin doesn’t just deliver the mail in Grove City, PA. For at least one customer, he also delivers a daily smile.
Scott Collar — a deaf man with autism and a mental disability — heads outside each morning around 10 to wait for Rubin, his neighborhood letter carrier, whom he greets with a fist bump.
“I don’t do it for any kind of recognition or congratulations,” Rubin told Allied News, a local newspaper, this month. “I met him one day, and I just want to treat him with kindness. It’s everyone’s job to treat people with kindness.”
Collegiate kudos
Elvin Mercado, the Postal Service’s retail and Post Office operations vice president, was recently profiled on the website of his alma mater, Monroe College.
Mercado earned a bachelor’s in business administration from the school, followed by a master’s in business operational excellence from Ohio State University.
The article touches on some of the highlights of his 36-year postal career, including leading the hurricane recovery team sent to Puerto Rico in 2017 and his current role overseeing retail operations for the nation’s largest retail network.
“His career reflects his commitment to success and leadership, emphasizing how a strong educational foundation” helped create the conditions for achievement, the article concludes.
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