Eastern Area VP Joshua Colin
“Even a simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way toward building good chemistry with co-workers.” […]
Katie Howard
Posts by Katie Howard
One last ride
Denny Graham recently ended his 42-year Postal Service career in style. The Henderson, MN, rural carrier delivered the last few miles of his route in a 1948 Plymouth he restored himself. “It was something we’ve had in the family a long time,” said Graham, a classic car enthusiast. “I thought it would be neat to […]
Safe guards
Employees who are glad to be back to work after Hurricane Irma — and customers who are happy to be receiving mail again — can thank the Postal Inspection Service for its role in the recovery process. Like they did in Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, postal inspectors are helping USPS resume operations in storm-ravaged communities. The top […]
Postal partners
Several employees were recently honored for their work with the Postal Customer Councils (PCCs), local groups that help strengthen the relationships between USPS, business mailers and their mutual customers. Twenty-seven PCC Leadership Award recipients were recognized during a ceremony that featured PMG Megan J. Brennan and other Postal Service leaders. Most awards were presented at […]
Need to know
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.66 percent during the week ending Sept. 15, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.23 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.05 percent) led the areas. To see the latest results, go to the Enterprise Analytics site and select “Scanning” on the left hand side, and then “DES […]
Al Guin, Center Point, TX
Thank heavens for angels like Vivienne Hansen, the employee who recently responded to two emergencies in a week’s time. […]
Western Area VP Greg Graves
“The number of cooperating functions it takes to move a stamped letter is astounding. Success depends on all of us working together.” […]
Christene Wiggins, Princeton, NC
Rural Carrier Christene Wiggins was delivering mail recently in Princeton, NC, when she encountered an older customer in an unusual predicament: He was trapped in a tractor. Wiggins attempted to free the distressed man, whose leg had somehow gotten wedged near the clutch as he was getting on the piece of farm equipment, but she […]
Ready for action
For four USPS employees in Illinois, serving their community doesn’t end when they finish their shifts at the Springfield Processing and Distribution Center. Plant Manager Michael Winters, Operations Support Specialist Ron Oller, Custodian David Marquardt and Corlin Winters, a postal support employee, all volunteer for a local rescue squad. The squad, which serves as backup […]
Tools of the Tradesy
The top executive of a luxury clothing company is crediting the Postal Service with helping her business grow in style. Tradesy, an online marketplace that allows customers to purchase upscale items at deeply discounted prices, has grown by more than 2,000 percent during the past five years. “USPS has been there with the right solutions, […]
To z or not to z?
The USPS Wellness team is reminding employees to be mindful of sleep deficiency. Approximately 50 million-70 million people have chronic sleep disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Employees who have trouble sleeping, come to work sleepy or wake up overly tired should know that in the long term, a lack of […]
Only Espinoza, Corpus Christi, TX
Letter Carrier Only Espinoza was delivering mail recently in Corpus Christi, TX, when she spotted a customer in serious trouble: The man, who had been doing yardwork with a weed trimmer, was under attack by a swarm of bees. As he tried to flee, the bees also stung his two dogs, as well as his […]
Los Feliz, CA, Clerk Spencer Myles
“Be the best at whatever you do. Promote the Postal Service whenever you can. Quality employees will make the system a success.” […]
John Purdy, Washington, DC
Thank you for sharing the updated information on the Postal Employees’ Relief Fund. The site makes it easy to help postal employees who’ve been affected by Hurricane Harvey. […]
Seeking perfection
USPS has introduced an online tool to ensure customers receive excellent service when they send and receive packages. The Perfect Package Experience (PPE) dashboard aims to help the Postal Service track package deliveries and better understand customers’ perspectives. The goal is to ensure deliveries are made by the expected date, at the right location and […]
Need to know
Shirt tale. Employees can order a USPS-approved shirt to help promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. The shirt meets this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month guidelines, which the USPS Ethics Office developed with input from a team of representatives from multiple Postal Service departments. The guidelines are now available on the office’s Blue page. […]
Zachary Walker, Athens, TN
City Carrier Assistant Zachary Walker was delivering mail on a recent stormy day in Athens, TN, when he heard someone scream out: “They are still in the van!” He looked around and saw that a minivan had tipped forward into a flooded ditch, trapping two occupants in the partially submerged vehicle. Walker waded in waist […]
San Diego District Manager Jim Olson
“Gemba walks allow us to find where we have opportunity.” […]
Teresa Barwick, Center Hill, FL
“Snake news” was interesting. Lives could have been lost if the snakes got loose. […]
Informed Delivery
The Postal Service will soon combine the My USPS and Informed Delivery platforms, offering consumers the ability to interact with their incoming mail and packages in one dashboard. “The integration with My USPS will make Informed Delivery the single digital point of entry for consumers to view images of their mail and manage their packages. […]
Helping hands
Two resources are available to help Postal Service employees affected by Hurricane Harvey and other disasters: • The Postal Employees’ Relief Fund (PERF) is available to help active and retired management and craft employees when their homes are damaged or destroyed by a hurricane, tornado, flood, wildfire or earthquake. PERF provides applicants with small relief […]
Bottle shock
A Gaza fisherman recently received his first piece of personal “mail” — a message in a bottle. While fishing, 54-year-old Jihad al-Soltan caught the bobbing bottle with a parchment note and dried flowers inside and took it home. “Hello! Thank you for picking up this bottle,” the message read. “We … would love to know […]
Love of labor
In honor of next week’s Labor Day observance, “The list” looks at seven American workers’ rights advocates who were honored with stamps. 1. Susan B. Anthony. Honored in 1936 with a 3-cent stamp and in 1958 with a 50-cent stamp, the famed women’s rights advocate pushed for eight-hour workdays and equal pay for equal work. […]
Central Pennsylvania District Acting Sr. Plant Manager Jeffrey Hotchkiss
“The Postal Service is very interested in nurturing the next generation of supervisors, managers and executives so we can continue to achieve success.” […]
Read More… from Central Pennsylvania District Acting Sr. Plant Manager Jeffrey Hotchkiss
Jeffrey Jones, McKinney, TX
An alert Postal Service employee recently saved three children and their grandmother from a fire that threatened a McKinney, TX, home. Rural Carrier Associate Jeffrey Jones was delivering a parcel when he spotted flames spreading quickly in the bushes in front of the residence. Jones could see the kids inside, but no one answered the […]
LaRisa Kamalamalama, Kailua, HI
I feel very motivated after reading the “Best practices” profile of Oviedo, FL, Postmaster Karen Hebert. This story is just what I needed. […]
Future focus
The Postal Service is improving customers’ experiences by investing in employees and new technology, PMG Megan J. Brennan told a recent gathering of rural carriers. “The future is all about the customer. We have to listen and quickly adapt to their needs,” the PMG said at the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA) convention near […]
High seas adventure
A Honolulu District employee recently completed the adventure of a lifetime when he sailed his boat from Alameda, CA, to the Hawaii capital. “I’m sure a lot of people would say I wasn’t ready for this journey,” said Steve Russell, a maintenance mechanic at the Honolulu Processing and Distribution Center. The journey began when Russell […]
Bee good
A new video offers a quick glimpse of the recent Protect Pollinators stamp dedication ceremony. The video shows USPS leaders and other speakers discussing the importance of western honeybees and monarch butterflies, the two pollinators featured on the stamps. “Pollinators produce one-third of the world’s food crops,” USPS Judicial Officer Gary Shapiro says. “Without them, […]
In the zone
USPS is reminding employees to watch out for children now that schools are resuming. Drivers must take precautions to avoid accidents and keep children safe by staying alert, driving defensively and remembering that kids are unpredictable. While driving, remember to: Slow down and obey the speed limits. Adjust your mirrors so you can see around […]