Lynn Long, Cincinnati, Ohio
As a 66-year-young grandma elf in waiting, I’m so glad that the Operation Santa program —highlighted in the “Holiday kickoff” article — has opened up again. I began receiving Santa letters in March. […]
Katie Howard
Posts by Katie Howard
Rising to the top
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Shontay L. Porter was named talent and acquisition director. She previously served as professional development programs manager. • Jane E. Quenk, identity access and management manager, was named acting revenue assurance executive manager. • Rick G. Thompson, operations insights manager, was […]
Swift fulfillment
Victory Packaging, the fulfillment company for the Postal Service’s expedited packaging supplies, will now process and ship orders within one business day from the date of receipt. Previously, the interval between order and processing could be as much as 72 hours. The change is effective Oct. 1. The update applies to the standard expedited packaging […]
Power portal
Postal Service employees will have multiple options for submitting leads in the Employee Engagement Lead Generation Programs, starting Oct. 1. Employees will also be able to see their individual lead status reports. ACE users can access the new Employee Lead Entry site on Blue by selecting the “Submit a Lead” link under “Featured Topics.” Links […]
Who’s the Ross?
Do you know colleagues like Ross Brossart, a letter carrier who ran door to door at a Grand Forks, ND, condominium to ensure the safety of residents threatened by a devastating blaze? We want to know about them, too. USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above […]
Michael Wear, Denver
The Remote Encoding Center highlighted in the “Handwriting hackers” article is pretty cool. I have known about the process of deciphering illegible handwritten addresses for years, but it is really a mystery to most postal workers exactly how it works. […]
Pickup line
A North Carolina postmaster’s conversation with a customer has resulted in a shipping deal worth more than $2 million for the Postal Service. Matthew Walters, who leads the Elkin Post Office, noticed that the owner of a local business was coming into the Post Office each day to mail packages. Walters let the business owner […]
Display of affection
A Philadelphia woman’s use of mail to decorate her home — and honor her late father — has gone viral on social media. Lauren Rosa Miller created a wall display in her living room, using framed postcards that her dad, Dave Miller Sr., sent while she was growing up. Dave, who owned and operated a […]
Labor update
USPS and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) have agreed to extend contract negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. Although the contract with the NPMHU expired at midnight Sept. 20, the Postal Service and the union mutually agreed to extend negotiations. The NPMHU represents more than 55,000 mail handlers nationwide. […]
Babe in the woods
Rural Carrier Becky Woolard was recently delivering mail in Bath, NC, when she spotted a toddler in trouble: The 3-year-old had taken a wooded path to their grandparents’ house next door, but no one was at home at the time. Woolard walked the toddler back along the path, and the mother was unaware her kid […]
New gigs
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: North Carolina District Manager Russell D. Gardner Jr. will retire from USPS on Sept. 30 after more than 35 years. • Chanan S. Jian VI was named California 2 District’s safety manager. He previously served as a Retail and Delivery Operations Command […]
Jolly entrance
The Postal Service celebrated the release of the Holiday Elves Forever stamps at Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK. The Sept. 15 event was held against a festive backdrop and included appearances by Santa, Mrs. Claus and their reindeer. USPS Board of Governors Secretary Michael Elston served as the dedicating official. The Holiday Elves […]
Lost and found
Do you know colleagues like Donna Kessler, an Indiana letter carrier who came to the aid of a distraught little girl who was hopelessly lost after her first day of kindergarten? We want to know about them, too. USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above and […]
National PCC Week
For the first time in three years, USPS leaders will meet in person with commercial mailers during National Postal Customer Council Week. The annual meetings are held across the nation each year to bring participants together to discuss strategies to grow the mailing and shipping industry, strengthen partnerships, learn about postal innovations and receive training. […]
Opportunity taken
A sales lead from a bulk mail clerk in Maryland has resulted in a bulk mail deal worth more than $1.4 million in new revenue for the Postal Service. Rita Morgan, who works at the Gaithersburg Post Office, met a customer who seemed unsure of where to drop off her company’s mail. Morgan used the […]
Exception to the rule
The Postal Service is offering employees another reminder about the rules for participating in political activities under the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits federal employees from engaging in certain political activity while on duty, while wearing a federal uniform or identification badge, while on federal property or while inside a […]
Action figures
Do you know colleagues like Justin McClanahan, a city carrier assistant who rescued a driver trapped in an overturned car on an icy, isolated Kentucky road? We want to know about them, too. USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. The […]
Climbing the ranks
Here’s a look at some recent changes in the Postal Service leadership ranks: • Carlo D. Salazar, mail processing division support executive manager, was named to a special assignment in Processing and Maintenance Operations. • Reece L. Steelman was named the Richmond, VA, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager. He previously served as the Tulsa, OK, […]
Snapshots of service
The Postal Service encourages employees who are military veterans or presently serving in the military to submit photos for inclusion in a video in honor of Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The photos may be old or new and may reflect participation in any branch or component of the military — Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast […]
‘An engineering marvel’
The Postal Service dedicated its latest stamp, a celebration of the James Webb Space Telescope, at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum on Sept. 8. It is the most sensitive telescope ever deployed, designed to pick up infrared vestiges of the formation of the first stars and galaxies billions of years ago. “The James Webb Space Telescope […]
Engaging clerk
Two sales leads from a retail associate in New York have resulted in more than $10,000 in new revenue for the Postal Service. Karen Gorczyca, who works at the Elma Post Office, talked with representatives from two local small businesses about their mailing needs. She then submitted leads through Clerks Care, a program that allows […]
Shedding light
USPS has a message for employees and contractors: Don’t simply toss away light bulbs when they are no longer usable. Most light bulbs — including fluorescent, compact fluorescent, high-intensity discharge (HID), light-emitting diode (LED), neon and ultraviolet lamps — contain mercury, toxic metals and other hazardous materials. Consequently, the Postal Service considers these items universal waste that must […]
Combined Federal Campaign
The Combined Federal Campaign, the federal government’s annual workplace charity drive, began Sept. 1 and runs through Jan. 14. All Postal Service workers, contractors and retirees can participate. The Combined Federal Campaign, also known as the CFC, allows individuals to contribute to thousands of charitable organizations, here and around the globe. Pledges are accepted online, […]
Improving safety
Post Offices will soon receive kits that contain a supply of labels and information designed to better identify potentially hazardous items in the mail. The kits contain the new Label 876, HAZMAT Surface Only, which is for internal use and must not be distributed to customers. The new labels will help improve visibility into which […]
Here, kiddie kiddie
Caleab Fronk, a city carrier assistant in Wayland, NY, was recently making deliveries when he learned that a local 7-year-old girl with special needs had been missing from her home for two hours. Fronk kept an eye out for the child, who had wandered off while searching for a family cat, and he soon spotted […]
Mary Dando, Indianapolis
I loved “Bird’s-eye view,” the story about Dawn Lautenschlager, the Phoenix employee who provides colleagues with tips for sending poultry safely through the mail. […]
High achievers
Here’s a look at Postal Service employees who received appointments or recognition recently: • Thomas K. Daniels Jr. was named the Charlotte, NC, Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager. He previously served as the Mid-Carolina Processing and Distribution Center’s plant manager. • Brandy N. Grant, the Greensboro, NC, Network Distribution Center’s in-plant support manager, was named […]
From out to in
The Postal Service is resuming terminal handling services, a function that has been outsourced for decades, at two sites this year. This move will create 53 new craft positions and additional supervisory positions. Terminal handling services prepares inbound and outbound mail being shipped by air through the FedEx network for processing by USPS facilities. The […]
Infrastructure insight
The summer edition of The Eagle, the Postal Service’s quarterly magazine, looks at improvements to the USPS network. The cover story explains the organization’s redesign of its processing, transportation and delivery infrastructure to improve working environments, service performance and operational efficiency. The improvements are part of Delivering for America, the Postal Service’s 10-year plan to […]
Passing it on
A sales lead from a letter carrier in California has resulted in a local advertising deal worth more than $79,000 for the Postal Service. While delivering mail on his route, Johnny Luu, who works at the Woodland Hills Post Office, found a company’s flyer inside a mailbox. He passed the flyer onto his supervisor, who […]